The essential interruptions people remember in NASCAR races are the crashes, but sometimes the interruptions are even more unexpected. There have been some peculiar and shocking incidents that have interfered with races over the years. Here are the top 8 most unusual NASCAR race interruptions.
8. Richmond International Raceway — 1987 Dale Earnhardt cleans windshield
Dale Earnhardt put on the performance of the year in the 1987 race at Richmond, where he cleaned his own windshield during a yellow flag period. The windshield was dirty and he could not endure it anymore. So he got his upper body out of the car, took a water bottle and some paper towels, and wiped it off. This is something rather strange and unexpected, which shocked fans and officials, and proved that Earnhardt was tenacious and creative.
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7. Watkins Glen International — 2007 Fan autograph attempt
Another incident unusual race interruption took place at Watkins Glen in 2007 when a fan climbed the fence and ran on the track to get an autograph from Matt Kenseth. The race was temporarily stopped and security personnel then pursued the fan and removed him from the race track. This dangerous behavior showed that there was a need to enhance the security measures for the drivers and the fans.
6. Richmond Raceway — 2013 Sprinklers at Richmond
In 2013, a water sprinkler system accidentally activated at Richmond Raceway. As a result, part of the track became wet and it caused a caution. The sprinklers were supposed to come on after the race but started to work during the race. It affected the race but also caused a dangerous condition for drivers navigating.
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5. Las Vegas Motor Speedway — 2010 Caution light malfunctions
This one is probably one of the most annoying race interruptions for the drivers. There were some issues with the yellow caution lights in the 2010 Cup Series race in Las Vegas. This caused frustration among the drivers and the teams because it disrupted the race many times. The caution lights would switch on and off randomly, so the race would be under caution for no reason. NASCAR officials were able to sort out the situation eventually, although it led to a lot of hold up.
4. Charlotte Motor Speedway — 2004 Inflatable orange incident
A 20 feet-inflated-orange rolled onto the track in 2004 during an Xfinity Series race at Charlotte, causing a caution. Then, the enormous prop fell off its support and posed a major problem to drivers. That is why the officials stopped the race and lifted it out of the track.
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3. Kansas Speedway — 2013 Track fire
During the 2013 Kansas Speedway race, a fire broke out on the hillside near the track and caused a caution. The fire quickly spread, and the cause was not revealed. However, the dry climate or some object could have struck a match from the dry grass, especially since fans were around. Emergency services acted fast, and fortunately, everyone was safe. This is one of the race interruptions that showed the need to enhance safety measures on and off the track.
2. Richmond Raceway — 2017 Ambulance blockage
In 2017, an ambulance had to park on pit road at Richmond Raceway, which led to congestion during the caution period. It was supposed to be parked outside the track but was parked right in the middle of the pit lane. This caused an unusual race interruption and a lot of commotion. Basically, the drivers had to try to avoid this vehicle while racing. This unexpected interruption angered teams and drivers and forced NASCAR to look into its rules for emergency vehicle guidelines.
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1. Talladega Superspeedway — 1986 Fan joyride
This was arguably the weirdest race interruption. During the pre-race ceremonies of the Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in the 1986 season, a drunk fan hijacked the pace car. After sneaking through security, Darren Crowder, a guy from Birmingham, Alabama, climbed into the ceremonial Pontiac Trans Am and took it for a joyride around the track. Crowder was almost able to run two laps around the track before he was chased off the track by furious spectators and security personnel.