Zane Smith's Victory Burnout Causes Fire in NASCAR Truck Series Race
Image Credit : Google
3
In the aftermath of the NASCAR Truck Series race at the Circuit of the Americas, Zane Smith found himself in the headlines for an unexpected reason.
Image Credit : Google
4
As the winner of the race, Smith celebrated by doing a burnout on the front straightaway.
Image Credit : Google
5
However, this celebration quickly turned into a dangerous situation, as two separate fires started behind the truck's wheel wells.
Image Credit : Google
6
While burnouts are a common way for NASCAR drivers to celebrate their victories, they rarely result in fires.
Image Credit : Google
7
According to Kevin Harvick, a Cup Series driver and Fox analyst, the mud flaps on the trucks are designed to improve visibility during rainy races
Image Credit : Google
8
Unfortunately, it appears that these flaps played a part in sparking the fire during Smith's burnout.
Image Credit : Google
9
Despite the dangerous situation, Smith remained calm and continued to celebrate while the fire raged for approximately 30 seconds.
Image Credit : Google
10
Fortunately, safety crews quickly arrived on the scene with fire extinguishers and were able to put out the flames before they could engulf the entire truck.
Image Credit : Google
11
Smith has been a successful driver in the NASCAR Truck Series, with nine victories, the 2022 championship,
Image Credit : Google
12
and a record of never finishing worse than second in any full season. He is also a Ford-affiliated prospect who is on track to compete full-time in the Cup Series,
Image Credit : Google
13
starting with a part-time schedule at Front Row Motorsports this season.
Image Credit : Google
14
Despite this being his first post-race fire in 85 career NASCAR national series starts, he still maintains a better record than some drivers.
Image Credit : Google
15
While the incident was certainly unexpected, it serves as a reminder of the dangers that come with celebrating victories in high-speed racing.
Image Credit : Google
Image Credit : Google
16
Nevertheless, Smith's calm reaction and the quick response of safety crews helped prevent a potentially disastrous outcome.