Watch: Brent Crews’ ARCA machine engulfed in flames after a heavy impact at Dover

A terrifying video shared by FOX: NASCAR on X shows Brent Crews’ ARCA Menards Series car bursting into flames after a heavy impact at Dover Motor Speedway. The clip captures the moment his No. 18 Toyota Camry was engulfed in flames.

The video clearly shows the aftermath of the crash. Crews’ car hits the outside wall after what appears to be a failure in the right front tire. Flames quickly erupt from the front and right side. Smoke pours out in such thick volume that, for seconds, the car is barely visible. Fortunately, Crews is seen climbing out from the left window under his own power. FOX: NASCAR shared the video on X with the caption:

“A big fire at Dover for Brent Crews. He is out of the car.”

Brent Crews, only 17 years old, was running a competitive race before the incident. According to FOX: NASCAR, the crash occurred after a tire issue in Turns 3 and 4, leading to a direct hit into the wall. Immediately afterward, the car caught fire, and the race was placed under red flag conditions as emergency crews responded.

Despite the severity of the crash and fire, Brent Crews walked away without injuries and was released from the care center. In a follow-up interview with FOX: NASCAR, he described the experience:

“Yeah, I just wanna thank the good lord above, for keeping me safe. That was super scary… Glad I’m okay.”

Crews also appreciated his team and thanked them by saying:

“I can’t thank Joe Gibbs crew enough for building me a super fast race car… unfortunate it’s gone up in flames.” He mentioned there were no warning signs before the crash: “I had absolutely no idea… I went into 3 and 4… got weirdly tight for the first time… I’m gonna guess that the tire went kinda flat, in the 3 and blew off on 4.”

Brent Crews has been one of the most promising young drivers in ARCA this season. Earlier in the year, he picked up wins at Phoenix and Rockingham and has also performed well on dirt tracks. Coming into Dover, fans were expecting another battle between him and Butterbean Queen, as seen in Phoenix. But the fire ended that possibility.

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Brent Crews’ 2025 schedule, Chili bowl debut, and start of the year interview

As per a NASCAR interview earlier this year, Brent Crews had a full calendar ahead in 2025, and it started with major wins. In January, he secured his first-ever Golden Driller trophy by winning the Stock Non-Wing Division at the Tulsa Shootout, holding off Cannon McIntosh in a tense battle. Just a week later, he returned to the Tulsa Expo Center to prepare for the Chili Bowl.

“I’ve had a great week at the Tulsa Expo Center already,” Brent Crews told NASCAR.com.

He credited his team and showed confidence in competing against elite racers like Christopher Bell. Though Crews made his name on asphalt, starting with go-kart championships, he’s also developed into a top-tier dirt racer. At just 13, he became the youngest winner in the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series.

Brent Crews’ background on dirt has helped him adapt to different track types. He believes the skills he gained on dirt made him a stronger pavement driver.

“You see guys like Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch and Christopher Bell that are running anything they set foot in,” Crews said. “That’s what separates the best from good,” he added.

Despite being only 17, Crews had already recorded dominant wins in ARCA and taken titles in both the World Series of Asphalt and the Trans Am TA2 Championship. His win in the Stock Non-Wing Division at the Tulsa Shootout was a major boost in confidence as he targeted a strong performance at the Chili Bowl.

He made the Chili Bowl A-Main back in 2023, setting a record as the youngest qualifier at just 14. Though a crash ended his race early that year, Crews still finished ahead of several top dirt racers. In 2025, he faced off with names like Kyle Larson and defending Chili Bowl champ Logan Seavey.

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Edited by Samya Majumdar