Former NASCAR Star Danica Patrick Was ‘Stuck’ at Burning Man but ‘Made It Out’

The retired racecar driver said she got "stuck 3 times" and eventually escaped the muddy conditions after 4 hours

Danica Patrick was one of the many festival-goers stuck at Burning Man this year after severe weather conditions turned the desert locale into a "swamp," she said.

The former NASCAR star, 41, recounted how she "made it out" of this year's chaotic Burning Man in an Instagram Story on Sunday.

"Stuck 3 times and it took 4 hours … but on pavement," Patrick told her followers in the since-expired Story, according to The New York Post.

Despite the harsh conditions of this year's festival, which takes place annually in Nevada's Black Rock Desert, Patrick said the uncertainty brought Burning Man attendees closer together.

Related: Princess Stephanie of Monaco's Daughter Escapes Burning Man as Rain Dampens Event: 'We're Out'

“The challenge from weather really helped show everyone’s true nature at BM and it was to step up and help each other," Patrick wrote. "It is an alternate reality where everyone gives what they can and no money is exchanged."

“Too bad that couldn’t be our full reality but for now …. It’s one magical week in the desert. Or swamp this year.”

On Thursday, the former racecar driver also shared a video of the "yearly clean" she does after Burning Man, and the three pairs of boots she packed for this year's event.

"Time to power wash off Burning Man," she wrote over the video on her Instagram story.

Two of the pairs appeared relatively clean for being stuck in a muddy desert, but the third pair of Patrick's boots shown in her story were covered in dried mud. "Oh my god, they're already making a mess," she said in the story.

On Saturday, organizers informed festival-goers on X, formerly known as Twitter, that “the Gate and airport in and out of Black Rock City remain closed. Ingress and egress are halted until further notice. No driving is permitted except emergency vehicles.”

Diplo and Chris Rock were among some of the celebrities at the festival, but the 44-year-old DJ made it out, tweeting: “Just walked 5 miles in the mud out of burning man with chris rock and a fan picked us up.” Diplo also shared a video of him and Rock, 58, riding in the back of a truck through the desert with several others.

The festival turned tragic for others, though. A 32-year-old man identified as Leon Reece died at the location after being found unresponsive around 6:24 p.m. local time as the area was inundated with rain, Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen said in a statement Monday night, per The Daily Beast, The New York Post and The Reno Gazette-Journal. 

"Pershing County dispatch received a call regarding a male subject who was on the ground and unresponsive at the Burning Man Festival and medical personnel were administering CPR to the male," Allen said in his statement, per the Post.

Related: Whoopi Goldberg Checks in Remotely on 'The View' amid COVID Diagnosis: ‘I’m Not at Burning Man’

At this time, a preliminary investigation, which included witness interviews, has not determined the cause of death, the sheriff said.

However, it does not appear that the weekend weather led to his death, per the outlets. A toxicology report is currently underway.

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CNN reported the area received two to three months' worth of rain — up to 0.8 inches — in just 24 hours between Friday and Saturday morning.

The Burning Man website describes the city as "a temporary metropolis dedicated to community, art, self-expression and self-reliance" that attracts thousands of attendees every year. Travel Nevada notes that more than 70,000 people attend Burning Man annually.

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