A building inside Daytona International Speedway caught fire on Wednesday during practice for this weekend’s Rolex 24, witnesses confirmed that afternoon. The fire appeared to have occurred near a Sunoco fueling station near the garage area.
Addressing the situation Thursday morning, the Speedway confirmed that, thankfully, no one was hurt in the strange incident. The most noticeable effect was a pillar of smoke which carried east across the track’s infield.
Fire at the refueling station.
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“There was a structure fire located in the Yellow Garage area of Daytona International Speedway on Wednesday afternoon,” the Speedway said in a statement. “There were no injuries and on-track activity resumed after a very brief delay. Thanks to the quick work of the Daytona Beach Fire Department and Daytona International Speedway Emergency Services team, the fire was quickly contained and extinguished. The state fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.”
For many, the incident was reminiscent of a fiery twist during the 2012 Daytona 500. On lap 160 of that race, Juan Pablo Montoya’s car collided with a jet dryer under caution. Fuel was spilled out onto the track, which then ignited causing a large pillar of flames and damage to the racing surface. Track personnel were able to extinguish the fire and repair the track in time for the race to finish after midnight, following two hours of delay.
Chris Gollon is a Flagler County resident since 2004, as well as a staple of the local independent music scene and avid observer of Central Florida politics, arts, and recreation.
