Mark Martin is 53 and only races part time these days. Today being one of those days, Martin was leading on lap 64 of the Pure Michigan 400 when things quickly turned south.


Martin gets caught up in a wreck's collateral damage and winds up spinning off the track and drifting down pit road. He keeps drifting and spinning until he smacks the rear driver's side of the car into an opening in the pit wall. The car is essentially impaled, as the wall tears through the car right behind Martin's seat. If that weren't close enough, the wall rips through the oil tank, spilling oil everywhere, as the back of the car catches fire.

Martin walked away unscathed and actually was in pretty good spirits, albeit a little bummed to have been knocked out.

"I'm disappointed that we got tore up, but man, what a hot rod," he said. "Big steam under the hood from Toyota, and Rodney Childers is such an awesome crew chief. I wish I could have finished the day off, but I'm so grateful to have a chance to drive cars like that."


Amazingly, nobody hurt in spectacular Mark Martin crash [USA Today]