"Very sorry to see this": Romain Grosjean and more IndyCar stars react as former driver loses 2 houses in LA wildfire

The racing world united on Thursday to stand with former IndyCar driver Townsend Bell, who lost two houses in the California wildfires. The Los Angeles area has been engulfed by the raging inferno since 10:30 am, Tuesday morning.

Over 10000 properties spread over 27000 acres of land have been damaged, killing at least 10 people and leading to a mass evacuation. Townsend Bell, who raced part-time in IndyCar between 2004 and 2016, with a best finish of fourth place at the 2009 Indy 500, shared a 'before v/s after' of one of his houses after the wildfires ravaged it. He wrote on X:

"Quick thoughts. Last 48 hours have been surreal. Fire,smoke, joy, tears, adventure, coughing, depression, little sleep, wildest motocross ride of my life. . We lost 2 houses. We tried everything to save them. Everyone is safe…. Lot of work in front of us. This is not the makeover photo i wanted to share…..time to grind."

Juncos Hollinger Racing driver Conor Daly was one of the first people to react to the heartbreaking post.

"Very sorry to see this T Bell ❤️ glad the family is safe," Daly wrote.

Romain Grosjean, who Daly replaced at JHR for the 2025 season, empathized with Bell, writing:

"Oh man, so sorry. Glad to know family is safe."

Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin shared a similar sentiment in his reply:

"Glad you guys are safe. I’m so sorry man," he wrote.

NBC reporter Kevin Lee, NASCAR driver Garrett Smithley, former sportscar driver Dirk Muller, and former IndyCar racer and Le Mans winner Adrian Fernandez were some of the other high-profile entities that gave Bell much-needed support in such times.

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IndyCar legend Danica Patrick calls for California governor to resign amid raging LA wildfires

AUTO: OCT 19 F1 Pirelli United States Grand Prix - Source: Getty

On Thursday, December 9, former IndyCar Danica Patrick took to X to criticize the failure of the California government's management to contain the wildfires. The Santa Ana winds, which were blowing at speeds of over 70 mph, were identified as the catalyst for the disaster spreading swiftly.

Patrick questioned the state's inability to mobilize water from the coastline and the reservoirs to quickly defuse the situation. She wrote on X:

"California has 840 miles of coast line and 3,000 lakes and reservoirs. Why don't they have enough water to fix any and all fires? At some point I have to imagine it's getting difficult for hardcore cali lovers to accept the state of their state and how it's managed."

In a follow-up tweet, the now-F1 analyst for Sky Sports also called for California governor, Gavin Newsom, to step down from his post.

"Time for Newscum to be the next to announce his resignation," she wrote.

The wildfires that began in the Palisades spread across Eaton, Hurst, Woodley, Olivas, and eventually Hollywood Hills. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also received flak after reports surfaced of her reducing the fire department's budget by nearly $20 million in 2024.

While the firefighters continued to combat the inferno, BBC revealed that an accidental evacuation alert was sent to all LA residents, causing widespread panic and worsening the situation.