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NASCAR Driver Had 'Scary' Moment On Pit Road Sunday

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Gould | Last updated Apr 13, 2025 6:56 PM ET

An unusual incident unfolded during Sunday's Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Wrecks are a typical occurrence on the NASCAR course, but pit crew members usually aren't the ones avoiding collisions. However, Daniel Suarez's team experienced an atypical workplace hazard during the Ford City 500.

Following a pit stop, a tire fell off John Hunter Nemechek's Toyota. It rolled down pit road right into Suarez's team.

The crew, in the middle of a pit stop, quickly scrambled out of the way. One member narrowly dodged the tire before it struck the back of Suarez's No. 99 Chevrolet. It may have bounced up and made contact with another member, but nobody was harmed.

In fact, they pushed the loose tire out of the way and finished the pit stop.

John Hunter Nemechek's tire took off after his stop and ... that was CLOSE

"Scary stuff right there."- @KevinHarvick pic.twitter.com/HcylPf1pZf
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 13, 2025

"That was really, really lucky that that tire did not hit that crew member," Kevin Harvick said on the FS1 broadcast. "That would have been a bad deal."

When Clint Bowyer asked what Suarez's crew should do with the tire, Harvick quipped that he'd keep it.

The tire snafu encapsulated a rough start from Nemecheck, who's 31st midway through the 500-lap race. That still puts him two spots ahead of Suarez, who hasn't finished higher than 15th since placing second behind Josh Berry at Las Vegas on March 16.

NEWTON, IOWA - JUNE 16: Daniel Suarez, driver of the #99 Worldwide Express Chevrolet, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway on June 16, 2024 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

Meanwhile, Kyle Larson leads the Ford City 500 a day after winning the Xfinity Series race. He led for 277 of 300 laps during his 16th career Xfinity win.

Larson dedicated the win to Jon Edwards, a friend and Hendrick Motorsports representative who passed away earlier this week. The 32-year-old hoped to leave Bristol with another win.

"It's cool to get a win this weekend for Jon and everybody who’s been a part of his life," Larson said, via NASCAR.com. "We've got one more tomorrow. There'd be nothing better than to cap it off with a Cup win for Jon and all of Hendrick Motorsports. … I've got a great car there for (Sunday). We've just got to execute like we did today."

Fans can watch the rest of Sunday's Cup Series race on FS1.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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