NASCAR Pace Car Goes Missing at Chicagoland, Discovered Intern Took it to Car Wash

Leave it to NASCAR to provide a moment of tension even on a day competition has to be postponed due to rain.

As drivers waited out the rain at Chicagoland Speedway, NASCAR officials discovered that the pace car — that shiny new muscle car that leads the Sprint Cup cars around the track during cautions and restarts — was missing.

Officials made several frantic calls, The Associated Press reports, before finally tracking down the vehicle.

It turned out that an intern had taken the the car to be washed — while it was raining.

In the end, the pace car was not needed Sunday. The event was rescheduled for noon Monday, the first time a Chase for the Sprint Cup event has been postponed. Roush Fenway Racing's Matt Kenseth starts from the pole.