Never a dull moment at Daytona: Top five wacky incidents

The World Center of Racing.
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Daytona lately, has been the site of some of the most unusual moments in NASCAR history.

The pace car for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ Sprint Unlimited suddenly burst into flames in Saturday night’s race. Thankfully, no one was injured.

According to USA Today, Chevrolet is still examining the car in Detroit. However, Chevy released a preliminary diagnosis on Thursday. Chevrolet Racing Marketer Jeff Chew told the media that a pinched wire caused the fire.

The midnight blue pace car only suffered minor fire damage, and Chew said the car could be reused.

NASCAR fans will always remember this infamous debacle, and thanks to technology, it will also live forever on YouTube. Let’s take a trip down memory land at some of the strangest moments in Daytona history.

1. The Jet Dryer Explosion:

The 2012 Daytona 500 had a couple firsts. It was the first time the Great American Race was run on a Monday night after rain postponed the event. It was also the first time we ever saw a jet dryer explode.

Juan Pablo Montoya made a pit stop under the seventh caution of the race. As he was trying to catch back up to the field for the restart, the track bar broke on his car, and sent him spinning out of control. Montoya’s car spun right into a working jet dryer. The impact created an enormous fireball, and the track caught on fire. The race would have to be delayed for a few hours to extinguish the flame and repair the track.

2. Dave Stacy Goes for a Swim:

Never saw this race, but watched this clip on YouTube. Back in the day, Daytona International Speedway had a dirt bank to separate the infield from the track instead of a wall and fence. Dave Stacy gave Daytona a reason to build a wall. Stacy spun, flipped over the barrier, and rolled right into the lake. No one was hurt.

3. The Pace Car Fire:

No one expects a car that is only on the track. Once in a while, the sport shows that even the pace car is not safe from the mayhem of NASCAR. Fans have seen a pace car stolen, cut a tire, and now a pace car burst into flames.

4. Jimmy Spencer kicked out of victory lane:

A late-race crash forced NASCAR to do a video review to determine the winner of the Truck Series race at Daytona in 2005. Jimmy Spencer and Bobby Hamilton were side-by-side for the lead at the moment of caution. Spencer assumed he won the race and drove straight to victory lane. However, the video showed Hamilton in front of Spencer when the caution lights went on. NASCAR had to ask Mr. Spencer to leave, so the actual winner could celebrate in victory lane.

5. Sterling Marlin’s Desperation:

On a restart with five laps to go, Sterling Marlin dove under Jeff Gordon for the lead. Gordon tried to block and forced Marlin below the yellow line. Marlin came back up onto the track and spun Gordon. Marlin suffered damage from the incident, and the right front fender started rubbing the tire. A flat tire was inevitable. Under the red flag to clean up the wreckage, Marlin exited his car and started pulling the fender. According, to the NASCAR rulebook, teams are not allowed to work on their cars under the caution. Marlin was penalized, and Ward Burton would go on to win the race.

2014 Sprint Unlimited Preview

Kevin Harvick (pictured in the 29) battles Kasey Kahne (car number 5) and Jimmie Johnson for position during the 2013 Sprint Unlimited. Harvick went on to win the race.
Photo Credit: Flickr / .Mearn

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NASCAR is back, and the season kicks off with the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona International Speedway Saturday Night.

The Sprint Unlimited is an exhibition race that consists of drivers who won Coors Light Pole Awards during the 2013 Sprint Cup Series season, which means they were the fastest driver in the qualifying session, and former winners of this very race. Twenty drivers were eligible to participate, but only 18 will take to the track.

For the second year in a row, NASCAR is letting the fans help decide some of the rules for the race. Since this is an exhibition race, why not? Fans get to decide how the 75 laps and three segments are divided up, the method used to determining the starting lineup for the race, and how the field will line up to start the final segment. There are three options to choose from for each category. However, fans must have an account with NASCAR.com or must download the NASCAR Mobile App to be able to vote.

In my opinion, restrictor plate races are some of the most exciting events of the year. The plate bunches the field together and keeps the drivers in a pack that travels nearly 200 m.p.h. As a result, the plate levels the playing field, and big crashes are likely to occur. Every driver has a chance to win. Really, “it’s anyone’s race.”

Saturday’s race will feature the debut of the new look Stewart-Haas Motorsports, which perhaps is the most intriguing driver lineup in the Sprint Cup Series: Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, Danica Patrick, and Tony Stewart. This will be Busch and Harvick’s first year with the team. In case you forgot, Busch and Stewart have a little history, including an altercation at Richmond in 2013. How will these two be able to work together?

Busch, Harvick, and Stewart are all former winners of this race. Harvick and Stewart have each won this race three times. By the way, Stewart is returning from a season-ending injury after he broke his right leg in a sprint car race at Southern Iowa Speedway on Aug. 5. Stewart is eager to get back on the track, and improve his impressive 4.8 average finish in the Sprint Unlimited.

Ryan Newman, a former Stewart-Haas Racing driver will make his debut with Richard Childress Racing. Newman will be the lone entry for Childress. Although Newman is more known for flipping upside down in the plate races, he is a previous winner of the Daytona 500. Maybe his luck will change with Childress. After all, Childress was in victory lane last year for this race with Harvick.

Another group to watch is Hendrick Motorsports. Their entries of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, and defending Sprint Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson boast five wins in this race. Johnson was also the top plate racer last season, scoring two wins, and four top-five finishes in six races (this counts the two non-points races at Daytona).

Prediction: Jamie McMurray. He won the last plate race at Talladega in the fall, and he has four plate wins in his career. McMurray also had three consecutive top-three finishes in this race from 2009 to 2011. This time, he breaks through.