City Garage Motorsports has built its ARCA program on family, passion, and plenty of hard work since entering the scene in 2024. After finding its footing in 2025, the team entered 2026 with a clear goal of competing for the ARCA East championship. But after a promising season, CGM now faces a major financial setback.
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Its race trailer caught fire while returning from Iowa, where driver Quinn Davis finished 15th, putting its equipment and cars at risk.
“For a small-budget race team, this is going to be a devastating financial blow,” a statement released by the team on X on August 9 read.
The team also revealed that an air line broke while the trailer was moving at highway speed. That caused the trailer brakes to lock up, creating an intense amount of heat around the wheels.
The situation quickly escalated, with the hubs and trailer eventually catching fire. The resulting damage was significant. The heat melted the trailer’s inside tires, damaged the hubs, and broke brake mounts. The team also said there was additional damage that it was still trying to assess.
However, the biggest concern was inside the trailer. Because the trailer filled with heat and smoke, CGM had not been able to unload its contents at the time of the update. That left the team uncertain about the condition of its tools, equipment and, most importantly, its two primary race cars.
The trailer was eventually transported to a repair shop in Illinois. But with the incident occurring over the weekend, the team said a complete evaluation and repair work could not begin until Monday at the earliest. That uncertainty is particularly difficult for a small family-owned operation.
A larger NASCAR organization may have additional equipment, personnel and financial resources available to absorb an unexpected loss. For a team operating on a much smaller budget, damage to a transporter, race cars or essential equipment can affect its entire racing operation.
CGM also had to deal with the logistical headache of getting several team members and everything else back to Florida while determining what could be repaired or salvaged. The financial impact could therefore extend well beyond the trailer itself.
There could be major costs associated with repairing the transporter, replacing damaged equipment, repairing either race car, and ensuring the team has everything it needs for its next event.
Yet CGM is refusing to let the setback end its season. Despite the uncertainty, the team confirmed that it will be at Bristol and will bring the most competitive piece it can.
After working its way to sixth in the ARCA East Championship standings, CGM still has one objective: finish strong.