Strange But True
From stolen cars to potholes to pastors with hot wives, there are some odd things that go on before, during, and after NASCAR races. Take a few laps with us around these strangest of moments.
Boogity Boogity Invocation
Unlike other sporting events that play the national anthem before the game, in NASCAR, they also always have a pre-race prayer for the safety of the drivers. However, at the Nashville Superspeedway in 2011, Pastor Joe Nelms laid down the most surprising and memorable invocation of all time when, after thanking the Lord for the usual pre-race things, he also added: "Lord I want to thank you for my smokin' hot wife" and finished things off with an, "In Jesus name, boogity, boogity, boogity, amen".
Stealing The Pace
Another odd invocation moment happened once at Talladega—but this one had nothing to do with the pastor. This one had to do with some guy stealing the pace car and racing it around the track during the prayer. He made it to the fourth turn, but it was there that he was stopped and apprehended.
Sprinklers
In April of 2013, the sprinklers at the Richmond International Raceway turned on during the race.
Fellowship of the Rich, Flickr
Hole-y Cow
While a pothole could cause a little damage to a regular car on a regular road, on a NASCAR track, the damage could be 10 times worse. Thankfully, no one was hurt back at the 2010 Daytona 500 when a pothole formed on the track. It did cause a two-hour delay, though.
Bumper Bird
If someone asked you how a NASCAR driver could possibly get a hole in their front bumper during a race, we're pretty sure "seagull" wouldn't be on most people's lists. But back in 1991, at the Daytona 500, that's exactly what happened to Dale Earnhardt's car when he ran into a seagull during the race.
Isn't It Ironic
At Auto Club Speedway in 2008, a caution was brought out after the caution lights fell onto the track. We have more irony for you in the next one too.
Safety Vehicle
During pit stops in Sonoma in 2015, Matt DiBenedetto was turning into his pit stall when his back was clipped by a safety truck, spinning him 180 degrees. No one was hurt.
Car V Jet Dryer
On a caution with 40 laps to go, Juan Pablo Montoya was trying to make up ground at the rain-delayed Daytona 500 in 2012 when something went wrong with his car and he lost control and slammed right into a truck pulling a jet dryer. The resulting explosion caused a delay of over two hours as they put out the fire and repaired the track. Thankfully, Montoya and the driver of the truck weren't seriously hurt. That isn't the only jet dryer incident either.
Jet Dryer Fire
This one didn't involve any other cars, though. It was 2019 at the Kansas Speedway, where a jet dryer truck was doing its thing blowing debris off the track—when all of a sudden, it caught fire with flames coming out of the sides of the dryer openings. We will admit...it looked pretty cool.
Car V Sweeper Truck
This one didn't cause an explosion, but in 2019 at the Iowa Speedway, Dillon Bassett came around a turn and crashed right onto the back of a sweeper truck driving slowly at the base of the track.
All Wired Up
As NASCAR fans, we appreciate all the cameras and angles the networks provide us when watching the race. However, with all those cameras come a whole lot of wires. Which was a problem at the 2013 Coca-Cola 600 when a nylon rope cable attached to an overhead camera malfunctioned and fell onto the track. Not only did it cause damage to some of the cars, but 10 fans were also hurt—with three being taken to the hospital.
Orange Juice
In 2004, during the time trials at the Chicagoland Speedway, Todd Szegedy exited the fourth turn when he saw something very big and very unexpected... a huge, 20-foot Tropicana balloon. The sponsor's balloon had been knocked off its moorings and flew right onto the track. The rest of the time trials were canceled.
What's On The Track At The Pocono Raceway?
One of the things the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania is known for is the wildlife that appears alongside and even on the track. Deer have run onto the track and been hit, including once by driver Neil Bonnett during a practice run. Bonnett didn't even know what he'd hit until he found a deer leg in the grill of his car upon returning to the garage. But deer is probably the least strange thing that's made its way onto the Pocono track.
What's On The Track At The Pocono Raceway?
In 1991, a chicken made its way onto the track (we can't confirm or deny said chicken's desire to get to the other side).
What's On The Track At The Pocono Raceway?
In 1993, a man was almost hit by a couple cars when he ran across the track—he was apprehended and charged with two felonies and three misdemeanors. But wait, there's more.....animals.
Kentucky National Guard, Flicrk
NASCAR On Fox
Most of us watch NASCAR on FOX, but in 2020, a literal fox showed up on the track at a NASCAR race at Darlington Raceway.
A Cat?
The fact that a squirrel ran onto the track during a race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2014 isn't very strange. What's strange is that Kevin Harvick told people that he almost hit a cat on the track. We're going to assume that maybe squirrels look like cats when you're driving past them at almost over 150 mph.
Who Throws A Shoe?
It's a question Austin Powers asked, as well as Danica Patrick back in Montreal in 2012. Patrick was leading the Xfinity Series race when some doofus threw his shoe onto the track. As she was in front, it was her car that ran over the show. Patrick ended up having mechanical problems and finishing 27th that day. Although, to be fair, her crew chief said the shoe had nothing to do with the issues that arose.
Are You Afraid Of The Dark?
During the Busch Clash practice at Daytona in 2011, the lights around the track went dark.
Can I Have Your Autograph?
NASCAR drivers are probably used to fans coming up to them everywhere they go and asking for autographs. But the one place they probably don't ever think they'll have to deal with that is during a race. And yet, that is exactly what Matt Kenseth had to deal with back in 2007 at Watkins Glen, when a drunk and shirtless man walked right up to the passenger side of his car during a red flag, took out a pen, and asked Kenseth for his autograph.
The Notebook
Have you ever left a cup of coffee on the roof of your car and driven off? Well, at Bristol in 2014, it was a notebook instead of a cup of coffee on top of Paul Menard's car when he took off at practice run (the notebook belonged to crew chief Slugger Labbe).
Dean Wissing, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Steering Wheel Off
Dale Earnhardt Jr's steering wheel detached from the shaft during a race. Thankfully, it was during caution and he was able to steer the shaft alone and quickly reattach the wheel.
Red Means Stop....Working
When a NASCAR race is under a red flag, one of the rules states that no work can be done on the cars during that time. Well, during one Daytona race, Sterling Marlin seemed to have forgotten that rule. Marlin was leading late in the race under a red flag when, all of a sudden, he climbed out of his car and started tugging on his front fender—which he thought was rubbing on his tire. He was issued a penalty and lost the race.
View From A Catch Fence
Catch fences are an important safety feature at NASCAR race tracks—designed to catch and prevent the cars from going into the stands if there is an accident. They aren't designed to be premier seating for shirtless fans. However, one year at Richmond, some topless dude climbed right up the catch fence and took a seat.
Where There's Smoke
In Kansas in 2013, a race went to caution because of smoke. That probably isn't unheard of. However, the cause of the smoke in this case was a cigarette that hadn't been put out properly.
One Request
In case you needed another example of how different things were in the '70s, this is it. Driver David Pearson joined Wood Brothers Racing in the early '70s, and when he got to the team, he had one request: Install a lighter in the car. And yes, Pearson would pop a few cigarettes in his suit and was known to light one up during cautions.
Ted Van Pelt, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
We Saw The Sign
There's nothing odd about seeing sponsorship all over a NASCAR vehicle. But at Charlotte Roval one year, Chris Buescher hit an EchoPark Automotive sign and the rectangular signage embedded into the back of his car got dragged along the track behind him (we're pretty sure EchoPark didn't mind the premium positioning).
Ride The Wall
Everyone watching the 2010 Xfinity Series race at the Bristol Motor Speedway witnessed one of the most amazing NASCAR sights ever. Coming around a turn, Kasey Kahne was on the outside right up against the wall at the top of the bank with another car right next to him. Well, they got a little too close, which led to Kahne not only touching the wall but riding up onto (and along) it, with his car at a 90 degree angle to the track.
