Today’s season-altering NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville was briefly delayed by a Chevrolet Camaro pace car breaking down from the front of the field. After some confusion, a safety truck with its own set of flashing lights took over at the front of the field for the remainder of the caution period.
Road & Track contributor Bozi Tatarevic found the pace car in the pit lane during the race, where he found heavy rubber build-up from the track collecting in the Camaro’s fenders. That, he speculates, may have led the car to lose a speed sensor harness and put the car into a limp home mode.
— Road and Track —-
UPDATE: In a statement, a representative from Chevrolet noted that “rubber debris from the track damaged the wiring harness to the fuel pump, disabling the pace car. NASCAR has transferred to the back-up pace car to continue official pace car duties for the balance of the race.” That car then paced the remainder of the event.