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Water-tainted fuel damages several cars

By Glenn Counts
NewsChannel 36

Several NASCAR fans who had to endure the weather problems at Lowe's Motor Speedway this weekend had another surprise waiting for them when they tried to go home -- car problems.

The rain apparently flooded the gas tanks of a nearby gas station and people unknowingly fueled up their cars with water-tainted gas.

It happened at the Petro Express on North Tryon Street at Mallard Creek Road.

Police say they responded to at least eight calls of stranded motorists affected by the tainted gasoline.

Ashely Kluttz stopped at the gas station at about midnight Monday. She said she got $6 worth of gas, and her car only managed to go a few hundred feet before the engine died.

"These two people came walking down the road, knocked on my window and said, 'Did you just get gas?' I'm like yeah. They said, 'Well, you have water in your gas tank. The same thing happened to us,'" Kluttz said.

We caught up with Ashley Kluttz after she picked up her car from the shop Tuesday afternoon.

"I did it cost more than I thought it would -- $600," she said.

Chad Watson of Kings Mountain said he also gassed up at the station after the race was canceled on Sunday. He ended up spending Monday morning in his car, waiting for his mother to come and get him.

"I come to the race every year, first bad experience I've had," Watson said. "They're going to have to remove the full pump and replace it, remove the whole gas tank out of my car and send it to be flushed, change the injectors and lines. They said I'm looking at about anywhere from $850 to $1,000. Plus, the fact that I don't have a car now."

Watson was not able to get in touch with Petro's management, but Kluttz said the company has offered to pay for all her expenses, including a rental car.

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