The 2013 NASCAR season had everything a fan could want, close racing, bust-ups both on and off the track, a bit of controversy and things exploding.
TheCheckeredFlag.co.uk looks back at the top ten incidents and stories across all three major NASCAR championships that had everyone talking.
10 – Paul Menard’s Tyre Explodes
NASCAR likes its series to go out with a bang, but when Paul Menard came down the pit lane at the final round of the year, this may not have been what it had in mind. The #27 Chevy first drew attention to itself as it drove down the back straight with sparks flying out the rear and flames appearing from underneath the car. Menard naturally brought the car in the pits, but before the pit crew could work on calming the flames, a rear tyre blew off, resulting in a deafening boom and smoke billowing from his pit box.
“I didn’t really know it until there was a little bit of a spark coming in the car and landed on the window net; thought that was kind of weird. About a lap later they said I was on fire; I lost my brakes, then the damn wheel blew right off.” Menard, unsurprisingly, retired from the race at that point.
(Photo Credit: NASCAR via Getty Images)
