How does a small-town racing team recover when its entire livelihood is reduced to scrap metal overnight? Just hours after the catastrophe on I-80, on Saturday morning, August 2, 2025, Alex Clubb’s club-level ARCA Menards Series effort brought that question home. The trailer containing their No. 03 racecar flipped as the driver dozed off on the way back from Iowa Speedway to their base in Morris, Illinois, and multiple semis crashed into the debris. Thankfully, though the team posted, “everyone involved is ok,” Clubb Racing Inc. lost nearly everything else. 

After a hard day at Iowa Speedway, Clubb, the owner and full-time driver, finished the race in 20th place with the No. 03 entry. Colby Evans finished 23rd in his ARCA debut while driving Clubb’s No. 86. Every finish counts for Clubb, who has been a part of the series since 2015 and is currently ranked sixth in the national driver rankings. Clubb is a family-run business that operates on a shoestring and depends on self-maintenance, used parts, and sheer willpower to create the track. But everything is at stake if he loses his single racecar, the trailer, and the tow truck.

In an emotional account shared with Frontstretch, Clubb explained, “My buddy fell asleep driving it [the trailer]. He hit the median, flipped it, and then about five semis kept hitting us. We’re now down one trailer, one truck, and one racecar.” For ARCA teams like his, who have no safety net, minimal support, and a whole season’s worth of goals depending on survival, that unvarnished honesty highlights the precarious reality. With the next race at Watkins Glen scheduled for August 8, Clubb admitted bluntly, “I have no idea. We’re not even home yet.” 

Determined not to give in, Clubb Racing launched a crowdfunding campaign, stating: “We don’t typically ask for help, but unfortunately, we need it. We have worked so hard to get a decent program together, and now half of that is gone. If you can help, we would greatly appreciate it.” This is a cry to support the underdog — not just a financial request, but a call to the grassroots motorsport enthusiasts. Clubb’s comeback will be a real test of whether community support and enthusiasm can repair more than just metal. Can they continue to pursue their ambition of racing? Here’s what the fans had to say about it.

Fans have mixed reactions to Clubb Racing’s highway disaster and fallout

The internet had already weighed in before the team could decide what to do next. Fans’ reactions to the incident were quite mixed, as it was first reported by Clubb Racing’s own X updates before being picked up by websites like Frontstretch. It was an instant moment of empathy for some. “Hate to see this. Especially to the only full-time Ford team in the series,” one fan wrote, expressing both concern and appreciation for what Clubb Racing represents in the increasingly manufacturer-thin ARCA field. Others quickly noted the resilience within reach: “They still have the ’86 car. They can renumber it as the 03, and there’s a new car being built for Bristol.” In that corner of the internet, the mood was pragmatic, acknowledging the blow but hopeful it wasn’t fatal.

Yet, the seriousness of the event prompted more incisive remarks from others who were reluctant to ignore how it occurred. Some supporters cited precedence when Clubb openly acknowledged that the driver fell asleep while transporting equipment, a human error that almost resulted in tragedy. “This is how James Hylton and his son died,” one user wrote flatly, referencing the 2018 tragedy that rocked the same racing community. “They’re lucky they only lost equipment.” Others called the situation preventable, raising difficult questions about whether underfunded teams stretching themselves too thin are risking more than just their standings. One comment summed it up bluntly, “Glad everyone’s okay. But this should’ve never happened.”

The incident itself was not the only thing that was criticized. A loud minority expressed suspicion over Clubb Racing’s public fundraising campaign, questioning the accountability and appearance of requesting financial support from fans. “Car looks fine, insurance? Or just lazy, looking for handouts?” one post read. Another sarcastically framed the team’s plea as tone-deaf: “Our driver risked people’s lives by driving while tired, but please donate to our campaign.” Even light-hearted jabs like “Hey, you can’t park there” surfaced alongside the hashtag #ArcaBrakes, blending gallows humor with frustration over repeated safety lapses in the series. For some, the line between perseverance and negligence felt too thin this time.

Nevertheless, despite the commotion, assistance kept coming in. Some fans proposed using leftover equipment to cover for other ARCA teams or even NASCAR-level operations. “NASCAR teams help each other when needed. Hopefully someone steps up here.” It remains to be seen if such unity becomes a reality. There is no doubt that Clubb Racing’s predicament touched a nerve, highlighting how difficult empathy can be in a sport where survival margins are extremely narrow and the limelight, no matter how fleeting, doesn’t always flatter.