The Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway was relatively tame as Kyle Larson led 462 laps, but there was a big moment on pit road featuring a fire.
The incident, captured by Trackhouse Racing's Jason Schultz, began during what appeared to be a normal pit stop. Jones's crew changed the tires on the right side of the car and then ran around to the left to complete the stop. Meanwhile, the fueler continued packing the car full of Sunoco fuel.
However, the stop changed drastically as a fire began at the rear of the car and quickly grew in size. It engulfed the back of the No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota Camry XSE, and it caught the tire changer's suit on fire.
Fire! Watch how fast it grew in the pits at Bristol.
Accidentally filmed this while shooting something else. 😳 pic.twitter.com/IfFXjSHkjT
— Jason Schultz (@HeyJasonSchultz) September 22, 2024
The issues quickly subsided as a nearby crew member extinguished the blaze. They sprayed the car, the tire changer, and the fuel can that lay in the middle of the pit stall. Jones then pulled out of his pit stall and continued in the race.
Fire aside, the race did not progress as Jones and Legacy Motor Club hoped. The driver of the No. 43 dealt with an ill-handling car throughout a race in which there were precious few pit stops. He finished 30th and four laps down.
This incident flew under the radar for NASCAR fans. It was not shown on the NBC Sports broadcast, nor was it shown on the nonstop feed that plays in the track's media center.
"Yikes. Always forget how dangerous pit crew jobs can be," one person posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
This is a common sentiment expressed throughout the NASCAR season. Pit crew members put their bodies on the line numerous times every week of the season while changing tires, adding fuel to the car, and making adjustments in the heat of the race.
These pit crew members have caught on fire and been hit by cars or trucks. They have responded by continuing to do the planned stops so that their drivers could continue competing in the races. Saturday night's race was just the latest example.