NASCAR to review pit road fire; one crew member remains hospitalized

RICHMOND, Va. — NASCAR plans to review the circumstances surrounding a pit fire that injured three pit crew members during Friday night's Xfinity Series race at Richmond International Raceway.

Two Richard Childress Racing crew members and one member of driver Eric McClure's team were injured when fuel ignited at the rear of RCR driver Brendan Gaughan's car during a mid-race pit stop.

A huge fireball erupted at the car, sending pit crew members scrambling. Safety workers extinguished the fire quickly.

"We'll go back to Concord (N.C., the NASCAR Research and Development Center) and look at all the parts and pieces and try to recreate what happened," said NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp. "We're in the initial stages of looking at all that."

RCR crew members Anthony O'Brien (tire changer) and Josh Wittman (gas man) were transported to a Richmond hospital with injuries suffered in the fire. Wittman was released from the hospital Saturday, according to the team. RCR also said O'Brien remains hospitalized in good condition. The extent of their injuries is not known.

Clifford Turner, a member of McClure's team, was treated at the hospital and released.

Shane Wilson, Gaughan's crew chief, told NASCAR.com the fire started because of a malfunction in the head of a gas can, preventing the nozzle of the can from sealing against the fuel intake.

"We're not sure what happened yet," Childress said. "It looks like a piece of the fuel can came off. Until we look into it and know all the facts, it's hard to say."

Childress, who said he would review video of the pit stop, said he plans to meet with NASCAR officials about the incident.