Venturini Motorsports will be late to this weekend’s ARCA Series race at Elko Speedway in Minnesota after one of its haulers caught fire on the interstate. The No. 55 car is entirely unscathed but its transportation vehicle is now running behind schedule because of a blown tire.
It is unclear as to whether the delay will have an impact on Isabella Robusto’s ability to compete but the plan as of now is to go on as scheduled.
Venturini Motorsports is one of the most successful organizations in the history of racing. Certainly on the ARCA Series. The No. 55 hauler was driving to Elko New Market, Minnesota when one of its wheels blew out while traveling on Interstate 40. The blown tire sparked a fire that weakened the floor of the trailer and caused the highway to be temporarily closed at Exit 417 near Dandridge, Tennessee.
If I had to guess, I would bet the hauler’s tires were under-inflated. Under-inflated tires are likely to blow when they get overheated. A blown tire creates sparks. Sparks start fires.
Fortunately, fire crews got to the scene in time to extinguish the flames before they could reach the inside. A major crisis was adverted due to the quick response.
According to Dandridge Fire Chief Andy Riley, the semi-truck burst into flames at approximately 11:00 a.m. ET while driving on Interstate 40 West. All three lanes were immediately closed when the crew arrived to the scene. They were able to get one lane reopened for traffic about 30 minutes later.
Isabella Robusto is slated to drive the No. 55 car this weekend. She is one of two full-time drivers for Venturini Motorsports as a rookie on the ARCA Series. Rubusto will drive the Toyota Camry XSE in the short track race on Saturday. It was not damaged in the fire. She was not in the truck.