A terrifying moment brought Saturday night’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race to a halt at Bristol Motor Speedway when a car suddenly erupted in flames following an apparent engine failure.
Driver Mason Maggio was at the center of the incident, which unfolded late in the race and quickly escalated from a mechanical issue into one of the most dramatic scenes of the weekend.
Engine Trouble Turns Into Fire at Bristol
The incident began on Lap 194 of the 300-lap race, when a caution flag came out for an engine failure deeper in the field.
Maggio, driving the No. 91 Chevrolet, was already slowing on the apron with visible smoke trailing from beneath the car. As he limped back toward the garage area, the situation appeared under control — until it suddenly wasn’t.
Moments after coming to a stop near the garage entrance, flames burst from underneath the car and rapidly spread toward the rear, engulfing much of the vehicle in fire.
The blaze intensified quickly, sending thick smoke into the air and drawing an immediate response from track safety crews.
Quick Exit Prevents Injury
Despite the severity of the fire, Maggio was able to climb out of the car quickly with help from nearby crew members.
Members of other teams rushed to assist as he exited the vehicle, while safety personnel arrived within seconds and began working to extinguish the flames.
Multiple fire extinguishers were deployed before crews ultimately used additional fire-suppressing fluid to fully put out the blaze.
In a reassuring moment, Maggio gave a thumbs up to cameras after escaping the car, signaling that he was okay.
Maggio Explains What Happened
After the incident, Maggio confirmed he was uninjured and described how quickly the situation escalated.
“Yeah, I’m all good,” he said. “I knew there was going to be a lot of sparks under the lights here at Bristol. I just didn’t expect my car to ignite it.”
He added that the issue developed rapidly after noticing something wrong with the engine late in the run.
“We were doing okay. We were hoping for a better day, but it was weird. I just saw the oil pressure starting to drop out of nowhere on that last restart and lo and behold I was in smoke. We just lost the motor at that point. I didn’t expect it to go up in flames like that.”
Tough Result After Promising Run
The incident ended Maggio’s night early and resulted in a 37th-place finish.
He entered the race still searching for a strong result early in the 2026 season, with no finishes better than 25th through his first several starts.
The race itself was briefly red-flagged as crews worked to clean up the scene and ensure conditions were safe before competition resumed.
A Scary Reminder at One of NASCAR’s Toughest Tracks
Bristol is known for its intensity, tight racing, and high-pressure environment — but moments like this underscore how quickly things can turn.
While fires are relatively rare in modern NASCAR, they remain one of the more dangerous and unpredictable situations when mechanical failures occur.
In this case, a fast response from safety crews — combined with Maggio’s quick exit — ensured the incident ended without injury, despite the frightening visuals.
NASCAR Car Erupts in Flames at Bristol — Driver Escapes in Shocking Moment