Strange DNF Reasons

[acerogers58]

What are some of the strangest reasons a driver has failed to finish a race?

I’ll start, Joe Ruttman, driving the #09 Dodge for James Finch was parked after one lap during the 2004 Subway 400 at Rockingham because he did not have any pit crew.

There were rumours at the time that NASCAR had paid Ruttman and Finch to enter the race to ensure there were 43 starters. Five teams, all backmarkers, withdrew from the entry list for a variety of reasons, with Ruttman’s team also supposedly planning to withdraw. That would of left only 42 cars to start the race, practically unheard of at the time and it was even rumoured that TV contracts required the race to have 43 starters. NASCAR strongly rejected the claims, claiming the entry was a complete “sham” and saying it was a mistake to allow the car to start the race.

The low amount of entries was caused by a lack of new sponsors coming to the sport in 2004, mostly notably displayed by the #99 Roush Racing team, who fielded an unsponsored car for 17 races that season, despite being a competitive high profile team.

Despite the farce, Ruttman earned $54,196 for his last place finish.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Johnny Herbert, 1998 Italian Grand Prix

He shows in results sheets as having spun / crashed as the reason..... but it was revealed the reason for the spin was that an engineer had left a spanner in the footwell and 12 laps into the race it jammed the brake pedal, causing Johnny to have his moment.


Gerhard Berger 1995 Italian GP.

Again results show Berger retiring after a suspension failure. True, he did, but the suspension was damaged by the onboard camera on his teamate Alesi's Ferrari ahead falling off and hitting Bergers suspension. Sadly at the time their Ferraris were running 1-2.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Mark Webber at Singapore in 2008 from a gearbox failure believed to have been caused by static electricity from a passing tram train interfering with the system is the first one that springs to mind.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Button at Monaco in 2010 when the engineers left one of the sidepod radiator blanks in place and the car overheated barely got to the second lap

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Button at Monaco in 2010 when the engineers left one of the sidepod radiator blanks in place and the car overheated and died in the first couple of laps.

At Silverstone in 2011, Button was released from his pitstop before his right front wheel had been secured and he had to retire immediately.

[acerogers58]

J.T Putney retired from the 1966 NASCAR Cup race at Bridgehampton Raceway due to "Bad Gas".

One wonders if his fuel was contaminated or he had stomach problems.

[Everso Biggyballies]

J.T Putney retired from the 1966 NASCAR Cup race at Bridgehampton Raceway due to "Bad Gas".

One wonders if his fuel was contaminated or he had stomach problems.

[MonteCristo]

J.T Putney retired from the 1966 NASCAR Cup race at Bridgehampton Raceway due to "Bad Gas".

One wonders if his fuel was contaminated or he had stomach problems.

[acerogers58]

E.C. Ramsey failed to finish a NASCAR Cup race held at Columbia Speedway in 1952 after a pedestrian car drove across the track in the middle of the race and hit his car, breaking the radiator. After the collision, Ramsey got out of his car and proceeded to give the drunk fan a good ass whoopin until the police arrived.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

The late Justin Wilson retired from the 2003 Malaysian GP because the straps on his HANS device worked loose and pinched his shoulders, resulting in temporary paralysis of both his arms. It took the team nearly 10 minutes to ease Wilson out of the car before he was taken to hospital. He recovered before the next race.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Stefano Modena on his F1 debut with Brabham at Adelaide in 1987 is simple as he retired from exhaustion.

[erwin greven]

PJ Jones was retired from the 2010 Pocono 500 for being too slow.

[DoubleFart]

Damon Hill - Suzuka 1999. Mental Fatigue.

As he's confirmed - he couldn't see the point any more.

[erwin greven]

Mark Webber retired in the 2008 Singapore GP, after his RB4 selected two gears at the same time. It was suspected that a train in the subway beneath the track caused an electrical pulse while passing the area, whilst Webber drove over it at the same time.

[erwin greven]

The fire extinguisher of Olivier Panis' Toyota went of while being on the Hangar straight at Silverstone 2004. Trackside marshals had to help Olivier to get out of his car, his helmet being full of foam.