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The driver of the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet had a frightening moment during the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Auto Club Speedway. Landon Cassill’s stock car burst into flames early, ending his day and bringing out the caution flag.
The moment occurred in the first 10 laps. Cassill made laps around the two-mile track while battling Justin Allgaier and Josh Berry for a top-10 position in the field, but the situation quickly changed. Flames began shooting out from underneath the No. 10 on the frontstretch before erupting into a massive blaze.
Cassill quickly pulled to the apron and climbed out of the No. 10. He moved out of a danger zone while the track safety crews extinguished the blaze, and then he headed to the infield care center for evaluation. There was not a clear explanation for the blaze, but guest analysts Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney said that a blown oil line appeared to be the culprit.
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Cassill Had a Fast Stock Car Before the Incident
Prior to the incident, Cassill created conversations about his potential to fight for a win. The reason is that he was one of the three Kaulig Racing drivers lining up inside the top 10.
AJ Allmendinger, the driver of the No. 16 Chevrolet, won the Pole Award after posting a 40.038-second qualifying lap. Daniel Hemric, the driver of the No. 11 Chevrolet, had the fifth-fastest lap at 40.309 seconds. Cassill was the seventh-fastest in the Xfinity Series with a 40.466-second lap.
Prior to the incident, Cassill continued to race among the front of the pack. He lost a couple of spots early on, but he still spent the majority of the first eight laps on the edge of the top-10. Flames just ruined his opportunity to add stage points to his season total.
Another Xfinity Series Driver Had Early Issues
Cassill was the first driver to exit the track and head to the infield care center, but he was not the only one with issues. Austin Hill, the winner of the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway, had to head to pit road early for repairs.
The driver of the No. 21 slammed into the outside wall early in the race. He slid up in front of Josh Berry’s No. 8 Chevrolet and received a push. The two drivers continued to run together in a line, but a push as Hill went over a bump sent him into the wall. The right side of the No. 21 took significant damage and led to the rookie falling four laps behind the pack.
The incident led to a case of mistaken identity. Berry was the driver pushing Hill before he went into the wall. However, the driver of the No. 21 pulled up next to Justin Allgaier, revved his engine, and then flipped off his fellow driver. This moment led to confusion from Allgaier considering that he was nowhere near the Berry or Hill at the time of the crash.
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