Sam Hunt Racing and Harrison Burton will have to turn to the backup car on Saturday evening after a fire at Phoenix Raceway.
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The unexpected moment occurred as Burton circled the 1-mile track in the No. 24 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota GR Supra. As he completed his 21st lap, he saw smoke. He pulled onto pit road as flames shot out from underneath his car.
Some members of the crew safely extricated Burton from the No. 24 Toyota while others went to the hood with fire extinguishers in hand. As they lifted the hood, the flames shot into the air.
Major issues for the No. 24 of @HBurtonRacing, who climbs out under his own power. pic.twitter.com/AxJg9v4xvk
— NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts (@NASCAROReillyAP) October 17, 2026
The No. 24 team didn't know the exact cause of the fire immediately after Burton pulled onto pit road. They viewed an electrical problem as the possible cause. Meanwhile, the CW broadcast team theorized that the crew had left an oil line loose.
Regardless of the cause, the team had the same end result. The fire ruined the primary car, so they had to pull the all-black backup out of the hauler and get to work.
Moving to a backup car automatically dropped Burton to the rear of the field for Saturday night's race (7:30 p.m. ET on CW). It also meant that he would not be able to qualify and secure pit stall selection for next weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.
Phoenix Raceway is a track where Burton has made seven O'Reilly Auto Parts Series starts. He has made four with Joe Gibbs Racing, two with AM Racing, and one with Sam Hunt Racing while posting an average finish of 11.0.
Burton has three top-10 finishes and two top-fives at Phoenix Raceway in his O'Reilly Auto Parts Series career, all with Joe Gibbs Racing. His best finish at the track was second behind then-teammate Brandon Jones during the 2020 spring race.
Burton is not the only driver who experienced issues on Saturday morning at Phoenix Raceway. Sam Mayer and Joey Gase both had engine failures. Gase's motor left fluid all over the track.
