INDIANAPOLIS — They were just north of Valdosta, Ga., 10 miles or so. Jack Hewitt was relaxing in the back seat of the van, counting the miles for another few hours until home was in sight. It was Tuesday afternoon, a couple of days removed from the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl, where Hewitt connected with old friends and did yet another memorable interview — this time on Flo Sports.
His longtime friend Donnie Hewett was at the wheel, and Jack’s wife, Jody, rode in the shotgun seat. The rhythm of I-75 was familiar, another in a thousand such trips in Hewitt’s long and memorable racing career.
Suddenly the engine faltered, and then died. Donnie eased the car into the breakdown lane, allowing the right-side tires to roll a few feet into the grass for good measure. The group looked at one another and shrugged. Car trouble, of all things.
“I smell something burning,” Jody observed. The vehicle rolled to a stop and there was silence.
Jody opened the passenger door, and before she could move a large flame rushed upward from under the car.
The next few moments were full-on mayhem. Donnie flung his door open and reached over to help Jody across the center of the vehicle and exit through the driver’s door. Donnie frantically pulled the back door open and helped Jack from the van, but Hewitt — still dealing with mobility issues caused from a career-ending sprint car crash in 2002 — stumbled and fell, and Donnie fell on top of him in a pile.
The fire was quickly consuming the van, and they hurried to get away. Jody grabbed her husband as he struggled to get to his feet, half-dragging and half-tugging him into the nearby grass.
They reached a safe distance away and tried to catch their breath, tried to process what was happening. They watched in shock as the van was totally enveloped in fire, the heat driving them back further as traffic on the busy Interstate slowed to a halt.
Somebody called the fire department. Some 15 minutes later they heard sirens in the distance, but by then it was merely a matter of cleaning things up. The van had been reduced to a molten pile of rubble, each of the tires blowing out in dramatic fashion.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Hewitt said later. “It’s a helluva thing to stand there and watch it burn, and nothing you can do about it.”
The firefighters quickly extinguished the mess and began to clean up the scene. “A large fuel leak” was determined to be the cause of the fire.
As the shock of the event began to wear off, the group took stock of the situation. They got out with their skin, but that was about it. Their luggage, clothing, a box of hero cards, Jack’s $100 flip phone, everything — with the exception of Jody’s purse — was gone. They managed to contact a friend near home and arranged to have someone come get them for the final two-hour ride to Florida.
It was another in a lifetime of “wow” experiences for Hewitt. In the days immediately following the fire, he was quick to note that it could have been much, much worse. Sure, they lost a vehicle and some personal items, but … life goes on. Literally.
In the days that followed, some friends established a GoFundMe for their benefit. Hewitt wasn’t keen on this and reluctantly agreed to allow it to proceed — but only for a few days.
“The good thing to come from all this is having people reach out to see if we were OK,” he said. “Ryan Newman, Rico Abreu, Chase Briscoe, they all called to see if we needed anything. We really appreciate everyone.”
The fire was obviously a downer, coming off what was a highly enjoyable week in Tulsa for Jack and Jody. They visited with lots of old (and young) friends, signed a few T-shirts, and gave a couple of fun interviews. Hewitt was the same old feisty, funny character — a person who draws a crowd wherever he appears.
Even with the fire, the week left Hewitt counting his blessings.
“It was great to see so many people,” he said. “It feels good to still be a part of the racing family.”
This story appeared in the Feb. 8, 2023 edition of the SPEED SPORT Insider.
