TALLADEGA, Ala. — NASCAR driver Jordan Anderson suffered second-degree burns across his neck, face, right arm and both knees as he desperately jumped from his burning vehicle Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway.
The 31-year-old journeyman was running fourth in the Truck Series race on Saturday when his truck spun across the track and flames began shooting from underneath the Chevrolet. The truck continued to spin and slide toward an interior wall and Anderson appeared to be halfway out of the window when it came to a rest aligned with the wall.
Anderson scrambled to the top of the wall and away from the flames. He was initially seen in the infield care center and then airlifted to a Birmingham hospital.
It was the fifth start of the season for Anderson, who posted on social media he expected to be released from the hospital later Saturday.
NASCAR driver Jordan Anderson suffered second-degree burns across his neck, face, right arm and both knees during a crash at Talladega Speedway.Getty Images (2)“Scariest moment of my racing career by far,” Anderson wrote. “Doctors say everything should be healing up within a few weeks.”
When the race continued, Matt DiBenedetto was named winner of the Truck Series race after a lengthy review by NASCAR officials of the finishing order.
Driver Jordan Anderson is loaded into a helicopter after a fiery crash during the NASCAR Trucks Chevrolet Silverado 250 auto race.APDiBenedetto and Alabama native Bret Holmes both waited inside their trucks, parked side-by-side, as NASCAR reviewed its data.
The race went to overtime and there were several lead swaps over the two-lap shootout finish. But then a crash in the middle of the pack as the leaders were headed to the checkered flag caused NASCAR to throw the caution.
Holmes in the outside lane seemed to be the first driver to the finish line by inches over DiBenedetto on the bottom. But NASCAR reverted back to who was the leader when the caution flag waved — seconds before the drivers reached the checkered flag.
