NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya crashes into safety truck at Daytona 500

Ex-Formula 1 ace for the McLaren and Williams F1 teams has had one of the most remarkable crashes at the NASCAR Daytona 500. Driving for Chip Ganassi Racing the Columbian smashed into a safety truck with jet fuel when his car got loose. 

The incident happened during a caution period in NASCAR’s famous Daytona 500 race. Safety trucks with jet blowers were out on track drying parts of the circuit. At the same time, Juan Pablo Montoya driving the 42 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge was complaining of vibrations in the car. As Montoya came up to the corner where the safety truck was working, the car stepped out. Montoya lost control completely and smashed sideways into the safety truck, puncturing the jet fuel tank. Both Montoya’s car and the safety truck were engulfed in a ball of flames.

Thankfully everyone was unhurt. The race was stopped for more than two hours while safety crews battled to put out the blaze and then fix the track and clean up the mess. The event went past midnight (it had already been postponed to Monday due to rain) and was eventually won by Matt Kenseth.

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