The Daytona Beach Fire Department responded instantly. Concerned fans and team personnel looked on as gray smoke emerged from the paddock at Daytona International Speedway, threatening to affect the iconic Rolex 24 race at the 2.5-mile tri-oval. Speculation is rife about the underlying cause that led to the fire, with some claiming it could be electrical because of the smell, despite the origin appearing to be from the refueling station in the WeatherTech paddock.

With the Daytona 500 on the horizon, is the incident a cause for concern ahead of the crown jewel event? It appears not, as firefighters quickly took control of the situation and on-track activity resumed after a very brief delay.

Unprecedented scenes at Daytona International Speedway

The excitement was high at Daytona International Speedway. Why would it not be? With the Rolex 24 taking place this weekend, all 61 cars participating in the event were neatly assembled at the ‘World Center of Racing’ for a group photo on Wednesday morning. The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship teams were seen making some final changes to their cars ahead of practice and qualifying sessions, despite it being a cold and rain-soaked day. That’s when the fire broke out in a building next to the fuel station in the WeatherTech Championship paddock.

A statement released by Daytona International Speedway read, “There was a structure fire located in the Yellow Garage area of Daytona International Speedway on [Wednesday] afternoon. There were no injuries and on-track activity resumed after a very brief delay. Thanks to the quick work of the Daytona Beach Fire Department and Daytona International Speedway Emergency Services team, the fire was quickly contained and extinguished. The state fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.”

With gray smoke engulfing parts of the track, multiple fire department trucks were seen rushing to the site where the fire seemed to have originated to help put out the blaze. The Michelin Pilot Challenge practice was briefly halted because of the incident, but the action soon resumed when the situation was under control again. Sportscar 365 editor-in-chief John Dagys shared an update regarding the situation on X, writing, “It’s the building next to the fueling station, which has been engulfed in flames. Smelt like electrical fire than fuel.” While the fire was successfully put out all thanks to the hard work of emergency response teams, this won’t stop the drivers from bringing their heat to the race.

There is a lot of hype surrounding the upcoming Rolex 24. Six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon is expected to compete in the event while NASCAR stars Austin Cindric and Shane van Gisbergen will also be taking part. Three of last year’s 24 Hours of Daytona winners: Felipe Nasr, Dane Cameron, and Matt Campbell are in contention as well, indicating that the driver’s lineup is stacked for the iconic event. Fans will hope that the fire at Daytona International Speedway doesn’t affect the Rolex 24, as many are eagerly waiting for the motorsports season to resume once again.

Daytona to consider enhancements for future Rolex 24 races

Daytona International Speedway could undergo some changes in the future. The track’s hierarchy is considering adding visual cues to the Le Mans chicane after the grass was removed from that section for safety. Known as the ‘bus stop’, the famous chicane is now bordered entirely by pavement. Several drivers have said that the changes have made it harder to navigate past that section, as reference points were difficult to see after the overhaul.

Once considered an overtaking opportunity, the Le Mans chicane allowed drivers to gain track positions by taking the risk of putting a wheel on the grass. The track’s president Frank Kelleher said that the section could have a new look after the 2025 Rolex 24, going on to say, “We will look at the area and from an aesthetic standpoint, if we have time and money on our side, we could look at what other racetracks have done to make it not look like a parking lot. I’m confident that we will come up with something that is representative of the World Center of Racing.”

In 2018, Charlotte Motor Speedway replaced its front stretch grass with 88,000 square feet of synthetic turf, a solution Kelleher could explore. It’s for good reason that the grass at the Le Mans chicane was removed at Daytona International Speedway. In 2023, Ryan Preece was hospitalized after his No. 41 Ford skidded over the ‘iconic’ curb and rolled over 10 times before finally coming to a halt. NASCAR, who owns the track, conducted a safety review that has resulted in the alterations, with Kelleher saying, “Let’s start with the safety of our athletes, and from an aesthetic standpoint, we’ve got time on our side to get it right.” Driver’s safety is always the utmost priority, especially in a sport with such fine margins.