DOVER, Del – Dover (Del.) International Speedway host Miles’ The Monster appeared extremely hungry Friday morning at the 1.0-mile oval.
After three XFINITY Series drivers lost control of their cars and crashed during the first practice session, the carnage didn’t stop in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series either.
Less than four minutes into the session and with the threat of rain imminent, Danica Patrick came off Turn 4 and the back end of her No. 10 Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet burst into flames sending her uncontrollably spinning as she began dropping rear-end grease.
Patrick’s Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Tony Stewart and Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Jamie McMurray both were unable to avoid the oiled surface and slammed into the wall before coming at a rest on the frontstretch.
The damage was terminal for all three cars forcing them to backup cars for the remainder of the weekend in preparation for Sunday’s AAA 400.
Shortly after the incident, all three drivers were treated and released from the infield care center. McMurray could be seen holding his left elbow after getting out of the car and at the care center.
“It’s not something you commonly see,” Patrick said after exiting the infield care center. “I don’t know if it was human error or bad luck. Anytime you worry about Tony, just making sure he’s
OK after everything he’s gone through.”
After initial thought, it may have been an engine issue for Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing competition director Greg Zipadelli, said it appeared the No. 10 car suffered a gear failure.
“I don’t know what brings it,” he said. “They’re all brand new gears. All the cars have the same gears from the same manufacturer. We’ve won this gear at other places. It’s too early to tell the reason.”
Zipadelli also mentioned that SHR third car driven by Kurt Busch had an issue as well but he was able to return to the garage before he had an issue. All SHR cars, including Kevin Harvick, were changing gears after the incident.
“I was feeling something all along with the rear gear and drive train,” Kurt Busch said on FOX Sports 1. “It was feeling weird, so I got lucky.”
Stewart and McMurray declined interviews at the care center. All three were able to return make some laps in their backup car before the session ended with Harvick fastest over Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
