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NASCAR often has exciting races with clashes and competitions, but sometimes strange things happen that interrupt them in surprising ways.
Beyond the fast-paced thrills of NASCAR history, some races have been disturbed by truly unusual occurrences. Over the years, these have included accidental fires, ambulances on the track, drunken fans stealing cars, light malfunctions, and more. Here we look at the 5 most atypical intrusions that halted drivers or races in their tracks.
5. Watkins Glen - 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Season race
A severe crash at Watkins Glen in 2007 brought the race to a halt. The extensive cleanup required a red flag for nearly 30 minutes.
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Forced to wait at the starting line, a fan defied security by jumping the fence and sprinting towards Matt Kenseth's car. The fan wanted an autograph, but Kenseth had to decline as it was against the rules.
4. Richmond Raceway - 1987
At the 1987 Miller High Life 400 race, Dale Earnhardt's car windshield got covered in mud after a near-miss wreck. Instead of stopping for his team to clean it, Earnhardt climbed out of his car during a yellow flag and cleaned the windshield with a water bottle. Fans and officials were amazed by his resourcefulness.
3. Kansas Speedway - 2013
In 2013, a race at the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway was interrupted by a fire. Smoke rose due to a bush fire that was ignited by a discarded cigarette near turn one. The caution flag was waved to stop the race. Luckily, no one was hurt.
The fire wasn't the only unusual aspect of the race; the race also had the most cautions ever, a record 15. The first caution came out on lap 6 when Kyle Busch spun out. The second caution was on lap 39, when Dave Blaney blew an engine and hit Danica Patrick. There were more cautions for debris and wrecks.
2. Richmond Raceway - 2017
During a race at Richmond Raceway in 2017, a misplaced ambulance ended up parked right at the entry to the pit road. This caused a big traffic jam, and some cars, including Matt Kenseth’s, got damaged while trying to squeeze past.
Many were upset by this unexpected disruption, which prompted NASCAR to reevaluate its policies regarding the parking of emergency vehicles.
1. Talladega Superspeedway - 1986
In the 1986 Winston 500 at Talladega, a drunk fan stole the pace car, creating one of the wildest moments in NASCAR history. He drove it for almost two laps on the 2.66-mile triangle-shaped speedway before being stopped by security.
