Teenager escapes terrifying fire after race car crash

Brent Crews holds a trophy after a 2024 win at Road America — Photo: © IMAGO

NASCAR

Teenager escapes terrifying fire after race car crash

Brent Crews is one of the up and coming drivers in stock car racing

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Saturday 19 July 2025 15:10

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F1 may have taken a couple of weeks off from racing, but don't be too sad about it! Instead, see this as a chance to learn a little about other racing series. Broaden your horizons. Grow as a person. And turn your mattress, it's definitely been too long.

Here's one for you: The ARCA Menards Series in the US. A semi-pro series that acts as a NASCAR feeder league (the two are affiliated), a number of NASCAR race weekends have an ARCA Menards Series race on when they don't have a full complement of their own races. This weekend at the Dover Motor Speedway, for example.

There was a massive crash in Friday night's race, and a big billowing fire to go with it. And yes, to be clear, the driver is absolutely fine.

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A big hit and scary moment for Brent Crews at Dover. pic.twitter.com/hog6386wSD
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) July 18, 2025

Crews safe after scary wreck

Talented young driver Brent Crews was just a passenger on a high-speed trip to the wall when his right front tyre blew out at high speed at the one-mile oval, the right-hand side of his car going up in flames after impact.

The race was put under caution immediately, with a short red flag period actually required to deal with the situation, and 17-year-old Crews was able to hop out of his left-side window to safety.

Crews is a prodigious talent in the sport, having taken his first ARCA Menards Series win at the age of just 15 and even grabbing a top-10 finish in his second NASCAR Truck Series start earlier this year.

He took to social media after Friday's wreck to remind fans that he was fined $1,000 for racing without a fire-safe balaclava (or 'head sock') and helmet skirt earlier this year; both pieces of safety equipment which will have served him well when his car turned into a fireball in Delaware.

Big ? for @BrentCrews11 ? brings out the caution flag at the @MonsterMile.

? @FS1 pic.twitter.com/R7Xqhz6C1w
— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) July 18, 2025