WATCH: NASCAR broadcast fails to capture fiery incident in Erik Jones' Bristol pit box, trapping tire changer

Syndication: The Daily Telegram - Source: Imagn
Syndication: The Daily Telegram - Source: Imagn

The NASCAR broadcast missed airing a fiery incident in Erik Jones’ pit box at Bristol last Saturday. In an X post by Trackhouse Racing photographer Jason Schultz, the No. 43 Toyota Camry of Jones could be seen catching fire including one pit crew member.

Jones is a 28-year-old American racing driver signed with Legacy Motor Club, a team co-owned by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. At the Bristol night race, Jones finished ahead of his teammate John Hunter Nemechek in 30th after starting from 32nd.

Jason Schultz said he was shooting something else when the incident in the pit box happened.

Looking at the 39-second clip, the sparks from changing the rear left tires ignited the fire, which grew fast on the rear of the No. 43 car. The tire changer also caught a small fire, albeit the crew member appears to have not noticed it. The fire was eventually put out by a fire extinguisher.

The pit box incident happened during a caution on lap 329 in stage 3. As a result, Jones lost time and his car’s rear left tire wasn’t replaced.

Later on lap 361, Erik Jones made contact with playoff contender Daniel Suarez after moving from the top to the bottom. He got hit on the rear left but kept the car on track. His former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate retaliated by giving him a bump.

The two NASCAR drivers carried on with the race, with the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet finishing behind Jones in P31.

In a post-race interview via Frontstretch, Suarez talked about his contact with Jones, saying the No. 43 car brake-checked him.

“He was racing, just racing. I mean, he was trying to squish in the middle. I was there and we just got in contact and then he brake check me and I almost spin him out.” [0:52 onwards]
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The Michigan native continues to struggle this NASCAR Cup Series season, ranking 30th in the standings and scoring only one top-10 finish at the Daytona 500.


Erik Jones stays in NASCAR with Legacy Motor Club for the years to come

Legacy Motor Club announced last month that Erik Jones signed a multi-year extension with the team. The contract extension should keep him in the No. 43 Toyota at least through 2026.

“I’m looking forward to what we can build at Legacy Motor Club," Jones said as quoted by NASCAR. "I’ve been with the No. 43 car for a handful of years and feel like I’m coming into some of the best years of my career. I am hoping to grow alongside Legacy MC in the seasons to come.”

Meanwhile, LMC CEO Cal Wells III believes Jones is a proven champion.

“Erik Jones has been the consistent cornerstone of Legacy Motor Club’s driver lineup since Maury chose to enter NASCAR’s highly competitive Cup division," Wells III said. "He’s a proven champion that, surrounded with the right team powered by Toyota, can and will compete for race wins against the very best on any given Sunday.”

This year marks the driver's fourth season with the North Carolina-based team, which was known as Richard Petty Motorsports when he joined in 2021. He will be driving alongside current teammate John Hunter Nemechek for the next season.

For now, the LMC drivers are suiting up for the next race at Kansas Speedway happening on September 29.

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Edited by Luke Koshi
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