NASCAR's known for its enthusiastic embrace of corporate sponsors. But one brand had the kind of national TV exposure during last night's wacky Daytona 500 telecast on Fox that money can't buy: Tide laundry detergent.

The Procter & Gamble brand came to the rescue after a fiery explosion covered Turn 3 of Daytona International Speedway with 200 gallons of burning jet fuel.

TV viewers watched track workers using Tide (yes the same family brand many consumers use to wash their dirty clothes), to clean the track during a two-hour delay in the Great American Race. Fox even had a shot of the product -- with its distinctive bullseye logo -- during the telecast. When the race resumed, Matt Kenseth took the checkered flag.

"Daytona 500 saved by Tide detergent," said BusinessInsider.com. "Of course a sponsor saves the day."

No, that wasn't a paid product placement, says David Higdon, managing director of NASCAR's integrated marketing communications. Yes, the safety crews at Daytona use the detergent as part of their emergency cleanup procedures. Tide's starring TV role was a "happy coincidence, Higdon says.

"It was a unique situation. Nobody ever could have imagined what happened," Higdon says.

Most tracks use Tide detergent to wash down the track after a spill of fluids onto the racing surface, says Jon Schwartz of NASCAR.

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If P&G's smart, and they didn't become one of the world's biggest consumer product companies by acting dumb, they'll quickly take advantage, says marketing consultant Ernest Lupinacci of Ernest Industries.

He envisions a "If Tide can clean up the Daytona 500, think what it can do for You?"-type ad campaign.

Says Lupinacci: "It was a two-hour product demo. The upside could be gigantic. (Tide) was the hero. The race couldn't go on until it cleaned the track. Why sponsor a halftime show when they'll clean the track for two hours with your product -- for free? It's almost like somebody let the viral video genie out of the Tide bottle."

If P&G interested in a quick turnaround TV commercial, all they have to do is get in touch with NASCAR's Higdon: "Feel free to give my phone number to Tide."

Tide is not currently a NASCAR or Daytona sponsor, said P&G spokeswoman Sarah Pasquinucci in a statement: "We were excited to see that Tide helped save the race last night."