Video: Chevy SS Pace Car Catches Fire in Daytona at Sprint Unlimited (Update)

UPDATE Chevrolet believes a pinched wire caused a pace car fire during last week's Sprint Unlimited exhibition race at Daytona International Speedway.

Jeff Chow, marketing manager for Chevrolet Racing, says preliminary reports indicate the pinched wire started the fire in the trunk of the Chevrolet SS pace car. Chow says "it appears we had a pinched wire in one of the strobe systems."

02/16/14 NASCAR's season-opening race was so wild and bizarre Saturday night that even the pace car caught on fire.

And that's no joke.

Pace car driver Brett Bodine, a former NASCAR Cup driver, was leading the field under caution on Lap 55 when he suddenly veered off the track with the car smoking. The rear of the Chevrolet pace car then caught on fire, forcing Bodine and another NASCAR official to bail out.

NASCAR officials had no comment about what caused the embarrassing incident.