During Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series Bristol Night Race, multiple cars experienced fires triggered by excessive tire rubber buildup, with Josh Berry’s No. 21 Ford sparking concern early on. Kevin Harvick, a former NASCAR driver, shared his thoughts and reactions to the event, addressing both the safety scare and the repeated nature of such incidents involving Ford vehicles—a key point in the ongoing discussion about car safety in the sport.
Fires Erupt Across Multiple Ford Vehicles at Bristol
The Bristol Night Race saw a series of unsettling fire incidents, including Berry’s car emitting smoke on Lap 76. The source was identified as buildup of tire rubber near exhaust pipes, which proved to be especially problematic for Ford cars. Berry’s situation became critical on pit road as dense smoke filled his car, requiring assistance for his removal.
Kevin Harvick, speaking candidly on Tuesday’s Happy Hour podcast, remarked on the troubling pattern, saying,
“Well, there’s something that hasn’t changed since I quite driving, the Fords still catch on fire. I think with all the rubber and everything with their exhaust pipes and everything they have going on, it sure seems like the Fords definitely catch on fire a lot easier than the other two manufacturers with whatever they have. But this is a scary deal right here. Josh rode this thing out for a while,”
— Kevin Harvick, Former NASCAR Driver.
Harvick elaborated on the dangers drivers face inside a burning car:
“You can see he can’t see the pit stall and being in that position before, when it starts burning all the carbon fiber and the foam and everything that is right there at the exhaust pipes, it is nasty smoke and it’s very hard to breathe. You can’t see because the inside of the car fills up [with smoke].”
— Kevin Harvick, Former NASCAR Driver.
According to Harvick, this issue isn’t unique to just one instance. He noted,
“You hope as you keep running that it’s going to go out, but every pit stop I watched, the right front was on fire with just about every car. It seemed like the Fords were the ones that caught on fire more.”
— Kevin Harvick, Former NASCAR Driver.
Berry’s Playoff Hopes End Abruptly
Josh Berry, competing in his first full season with Wood Brothers Racing, had high expectations after early successes including a fourth place at Phoenix Raceway and a victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. However, his performance took a downturn in the postseason. Thorough mishaps in the playoff Round of 16, Berry finished last in every race. Early exits included a crash on Lap 1 at Darlington Raceway and an incident with Chase Elliott at Gateway, culminating in the fire at Bristol that forced him out of contention.
The abrupt end was especially difficult for Berry, who had looked forward to performing in a race defined by tire wear strategy at Bristol. However, the fire incident brought his race to a halt before the conclusion of the first stage.
Reflecting on his recent challenges, Berry offered,
“Man, it’s been a tough couple of weeks, but it hasn’t been because of performance. These guys have been doing a good job,”
— Josh Berry, NASCAR Driver. He added,
“… Definitely not the way we wanted our first round to go. We felt like we executed well and ran well, just haven’t had the finishes. This is going to be a tough one to watch. That was going to be a lot of fun.”
— Josh Berry, NASCAR Driver.
What This Means for Berry and NASCAR Safety
The sequence of fire-related issues with Ford vehicles during the Bristol Night Race has drawn attention to ongoing safety concerns within the sport. Kevin Harvick’s reaction, reflecting both on his own experiences and Berry’s ordeal, underscores a need for continued evaluation of car designs and protective measures—an evolving topic among drivers and teams.
For Berry and the Wood Brothers Racing team, the focus now shifts toward regrouping and learning from a challenging postseason. The incident may also prompt Ford and NASCAR to investigate material and design choices to prevent similar episodes in future races, shaping both competition and safety standards moving forward.
