FONTANA, Calif. – A swarm of bees has taken over the flag stand at Fontana, forcing NASCAR to improvise before the start of qualifying.
The starter is using a temporary platform on the fan side of the fence to start the Sprint Cup Series qualifying laps Friday, track officials say.
Track officials dispensed with most of the bees with a non-lethal spray, but a few angry ones hung around. Although the red light on top of the flag stand is still functional, nobody wanted to wave a green flag in the remaining bees' faces.
NASCAR officials told the teams and spotters about the problem. The track doesn't anticipate the bees will stick around to bother the Xfinity Series race on Saturday.
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