DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—Sunday’s morning’s practice session at the IMSA WeatherTech Roar Before the Rolex 24 was put on hold halfway through while the safety crew extinguished the flaming #4 Corvette Racing C7.R. The car’s driver, Marcel Fässler, escaped uninjured but the front half of the car was badly damaged.
The car was running fourth quickest in the GT Le Mans class when the fire broke as Fässler exited the West Horseshoe and headed onto the banking at NASCAR Turn Two. He pulled the car to the apron and grabbed a fire extinguisher to help fight the flames. Safety crew were on the scene almost immediately.
The fire was apparently started by a faulty fuel line. Corvette Racing decided not to participate in the final Roar session until the precise cause and cure were located.
“Until the root cause of the issue with the No. 4 Corvette C7.R can be identified, the No. 3 Corvette C7.R will not return to the track this weekend,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports, according to Sportscar365.com.
