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Father runs on track to save son from burning car in NASCAR-sanctioned race

'I just had a single focus: Getting my son out of that burning car,' said Dean Jones.
Credit: Grant Halverson/Getty Images
A general view of South Boston Speedway on April 4, 2015 in South Boston, Virginia.

A father ran onto a Virginia racetrack Saturday night to help pull his son out of a burning racecar.

After Mike Jones' No. 39 car collided with another car at a NASCAR-sanctioned race at South Boston Speedway outside South Boston, Virginia, his father and crew chief, Dean Jones, was the first person on the scene. As the car burst into flames, the elder Jones helped his son climb out of the car to safety.

"I just had a single focus: Getting my son out of that burning car," Dean Jones told NBC News on Thursday. Nothing else mattered."

The driver, Mike Jones, told NBC News that the crash totaled the car, a "financial hit" that has left the father-son tandem unsure if or when they'll be able to race again.

Meanwhile, Dean Jones is also facing discipline from South Boston Speedway for running onto the racetrack, according to a statement provided to ESPN. The elder Jones will not be suspended or fined, but he will be placed on probation, according to the track.

"We have sat down with Mr. Jones and discussed what transpired on Saturday, and he fully understands our position on non-safety personnel entering the track surface during an event," South Boston Speedway said in the statement provided to ESPN. "We are all grateful that there weren't any injuries, and we look forward to getting back to racing."

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