Photo credit: Nigel Kinrade Photography
A lot of people within the NASCAR industry are already in
Mexico City for the racing event over the weekend
Others, though, are attempting to head south following a minor explosion that interrupted their planned departure.
An aircraft transporting members of
Haas Factory Team
, Trackhouse Racing, DGM Racing, and Sam Hunt Racing were unable to leave Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Thursday afternoon.
As stated by Ryan Ellis from DGM Racing, the aircraft returned following an unsuccessful attempt at taking off due to a minor explosion. Ellis subsequently shared images depicting fire personnel positioned around the airplane.
NASCAR racer Austin Green, who races occasionally for Jordan Anderson Racing, mentioned that the engine “exploded” as they were heading down the track.
As reported by media representative Matt Weaver
, two different planes were grounded on Thursday afternoon for two different reasons. The captain of the plane carrying Ellis said that they didn’t know if they “took a bird” but that the No. 2 engine blew.
Not all of the drivers from these teams were on the grounded planes. For example, the Trackhouse Racing drivers were already in Mexico City. They had traveled down earlier in the week for media obligations/Go Kart opportunities.
Sam Mayer, a driver for Haas Factory Team, posted a photo of himself and Cole Custer on his Instagram Stories with the caption “Mexico ready.” He followed that with a photo of several people in a passenger van with the caption “JK.”
According to reports, the three Haas Factory Team drivers, multiple crew chiefs, and multiple car chiefs had to head to the Atlanta airport after the aborted takeoff. This way, they could pick up a commercial flight heading to Mexico City, which would get them there by 7 a.m. local time on Friday.
While Haas Factory Team drove to Atlanta, NASCAR continued working on alternate options for the other teams that were on the grounded planes. As of Thursday afternoon, NASCAR did not have a definitive plan.
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‘Small boom’ disrupts NASCAR teams’ takeoff to Mexico City
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