HAMPTON, Ga. — On one lap, Bayley Currey’s No. 41 truck had a roof. On the next lap, it didn’t.
In one of the most bizarre incidents in recent memory, Currey’s roof grew weaker and weaker until it finally blew off in the middle of Saturday’s (Feb. 24) Fr8 208 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
“I could feel it getting colder, kind of got really bright as well,” Currey said. “It sucks, because I think we could’ve won the race, but it is what it is.
“As far as driving down the racetrack and something flying off, the roof is definitely up there [in the craziest things I’ve seen],” Currey said. “I was trying to think of any way I could justify staying out there, but I get it, it’s safety.”
It was noted by Daniel Hemric on X that something appeared off with the No. 41 truck’s roof and windshield in the middle of the race. He then followed up that the roof was about to fly off, and sure enough, it did just that a few minutes later.
When the roof finally gave way, the pieces of debris wound up hitting the roof of Ty Dillon’s No. 25.
“I’ve never seen anything [like it],” Dillon said. “It’s one of those things that I was in the middle of the pack, and I saw sheet metal in the air that my brain just registered as a roof, and I’m like, ‘there’s no way that’s a roof.’ And then it literally landed in my lap, the windshield would’ve been there. It just destroyed our truck really bad.”
Despite the extensive damage and early setbacks, Dillon still managed to bring the truck home for a 14th-place finish.
“I think [that finish is] a testament to the will of our team and the experience of our team,” Dillon said.
“… You’re never out of these things, you never give up. It doesn’t matter how many laps down you are, it gets crazy at times and you just keep battling and put yourself in position.”
When asked about Currey’s roof flying off, Daniel Dye — who finished ninth after scoring his first Truck Series pole on Friday (Feb. 23) — had the jokes ready.
“I thought it was just vinyl or something, but I guess [Currey] got early access to the new 2025 Chevy Silverado Convertible,” he said. “I’ve heard it’s coming out shortly, but it was cool of Chevy to give him a shot at driving it.”
About the author
Stephen Stumpf is the NASCAR Content Director for Frontstretch and is a three-year veteran of the site. His weekly columns include “Stat Sheet” and “4 Burning Questions.” He also writes commentary, contributes to podcasts, edits articles and is frequently at the track for on-site coverage.
Can find on Twitter @stephen_stumpf.
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