Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s first NASCAR Xfinity Series start of 2023 was nothing if not eventful.
Earnhardt had a strong race running in the Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway, but a fire ultimately doomed his chances at a victory.
The 48-year-old led the way down the stretch before smoke began to fill his car with 30 laps to go, ending what was a terrific outing from the veteran driver. After the race, Earnhardt explained what happened, revealing that the fire burned a hole in his shoe.
“Saw some smoke in the car, I smelt it, and I was like, ‘Hopefully that’s not me,'” Earnhardt said via NBC Sports. “That last lap, I saw a big fireball down in the tunnel in the car, and I felt it. Obviously my uniform was burning up. And I was like, ‘I can’t keep going, I gotta stop.'”