On Saturday night, Bristol Motor Speedway is hosting the NASCAR Cup Series.
The race is a playoff elimination race. It will be the first elimination race, trimming the playoff field from 16 cars down to just 12.
Goodyear has brought a very different right side tire for this event. It’s a much softer tire and some teams were forced to the pit lane after just 30 green flag laps.
Due to the track temperatures, the rubber is not working into the track itself. Instead, it’s marbling up around the outside groove of the track.
Some of that rubber is building up around the headers and exhaust pipes of the race cars. That’s what caused the fire.
On lap 76, playoff driver Josh Berry was driving around in flames. The fire appeared to be started just behind the right front tire.
Berry hit the pit lane under green. However, due to smoke in the cockpit he was unable to park inside his pit stall.
The smoke intensified when he stopped. He was forced to climb from the car.
Safety officials were quick to the car. They extinguished the flames and NASCAR was forced to throw the caution.
For Josh Berry, he will be eliminated from the next round of the playoffs.
“It started smoking a few laps before we pitted. We tried riding around a couple laps but when we slowed down, it was getting pretty bad there,” Josh Berry told NBC Sports.
“This is so disappointing. That was going to be a lot of fun, that was right in our wheelhouse. That could have been our opportunity right there, for sure.”
“It’s been a tough couple of weeks. Definitely not the way we wanted our first round to go.”
“This is going to be a tough one to watch. That was going to be a lot of fun.”
The race is currently ongoing.
There's a problem for @joshberry!
He exits the No. 21 under his own power on Lap 80. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/hGUCz0wjTO
Bristol Motor Speedway | NASCAR
