NASCAR track dryer crashes at Daytona International Speedway (Video)

As crews attempted to dry Daytona ahead of the NASCAR race, one spun out of control

On Thursday night, the NASCAR Cup Series rolled into Daytona International Speedway. Two 60-lap Daytona Duels were on hand.

Watch the NASCAR track dryer crash video below.

The two races are qualifying races as the NASCAR Cup Series field is split in half. The first race is used to set the inside lane for the Daytona 500. The finishing order of the second race sets the outside row.

William Byron and Alex Bowman previously locked out the front row as the two fastest cars in Daytona 500 qualifying on Wednesday. For everyone else, these races set their starting position for the biggest race of the year.

In the first race, Aric Almirola held off a final lap charge from Joey Logano and Christopher Bell to take the Duel at Daytona race win. Almirola will now start 2nd row inside.

Related: Daytona Duel Results – Race 1 from February 11, 2021 (NASCAR Cup Series)

Rain delay

One race was in the books and officials were lining up the cars for the 2nd Duel at Daytona. That’s when the rain showers rolled in.

But, from time to time, it’s the jet dryer or some other piece of track equipment that steals the show.

Related: NASCAR sweeper truck struck under caution by Dillon Bassett (Video)

Related: Where the car that Juan Pablo Montoya’s hit the jet dryer with located today?

The air titan team was deployed as the Florida rain dissipated. Multiple track dryers are used to suck up water from the racing surface and speed up track drying efforts.

Daytona International Speedway is a 2.5-mile oval, with a lot of surface to dry. The corners are banked at 31 degrees which makes drying quicker but it does have negatives.

Motion helps keep the trucks from sliding down the banking. One of them started rolling too slow. The rearend of the truck slipped and it pulled the entire truck down the banking.

With a smash, the entire track drying mechanism was banging into the concrete. The truck became stuck as rear tow hitch lodged into the apron.

Larry Mcreynolds of FOX Sports joked that the truck needed to be going 12.89 mph to stay on the banking but the truck was only running 8.4 mph.

The truck became stuck on the apron of the track. Track crews have since removed the truck and track drying efforts have continued.

As of now, NASCAR still intends to run the second Duel tonight.

Air titan wrecks at Daytona
Video

Links

Daytona International Speedway | NASCAR

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