Former NASCAR driver Mark Martin has recently recounted an unusual and alarming encounter with a UFO during a nighttime flight.

Known for his remarkable achievements on the racetrack, Martin shared some more unusual insights with his unnerving experience from the early 1990s.

Martin’s racing career spanned over three decades, earning him a legendary status in the world of NASCAR. He competed in the Sprint Cup Series for 31 years, amassing 40 wins and five IROC championships.

While flying home from a northeastern race, likely from New Hampshire Motor Speedway or Dover International Speedway, Martin’s private jet trip took an unexpected turn that has stayed with him for years.

Details of the unusual encounter emerged as Martin recounted the chilling events that took place during a flight over Jacksonville towards Daytona during an appearance on the Garage Guy Chase YouTube channel (below):

“We were coming home, just me and my pilot in my jet.

“We were coming back from one of the northeast races. Either Loudon or, couldn’t be Pocono. I don’t know if it was Loudon or if it was Dover, or where it was. We were coming home, it was late though, that’s the thing I don’t understand, but it was dark. Dark, dark.

“We fly at 45,000 feet but going over Jacksonville going home to Daytona where I lived, you know, they would bring you down to 18,000 feet or so.”

The setting was all too familiar—black skies and the distant glow of city lights from Daytona, Orlando, and Miami. It was in this backdrop that he spotted a peculiar light.

“So, it’s black. Everything except the lights in Daytona, Orlando, and you know, Miami.

“You can see the lights down at Miami even. And I see a light that is solid white light, looks solid light that’s not flashing, and that could only be like a landing light is the only thing that would make sense would be a spotlight looking light like that, and it would have to be far away because I couldn’t see the green and red wing tip lights.”

Unsettled by the solitary light that didn’t fit the profile of a typical aircraft, Martin became fixated on it as it drew nearer.

“So, I keep it in my eye, I keep checking up there and checking up there and it gets closer and closer, I didn’t say anything to Jason I’m just flying along.

“Finally, I just start, I fixate on it. Plane’s on autopilot … and so I’m fixated on it and it gets closer and closer and closer and then it gets like, oh my God, we’re going to hit that!

“And I grabbed the yolk and kicked it off autopilot and was getting ready to jerk the plane to the right and Jason was like, ‘What?’ and I said, ‘Look!’ And when he looked, he pulled out a camera, he had a camera on him, and he pulled out a camera and put it up there in the windshield and tried to take a picture because he saw it!

“We both saw this and almost, we thought we were going to hit it. Then it starts pulling away, gradually pulling away, slowly pulling away.”

Upon seeking further clarification from air traffic control, Martin learned there were no other known aircraft in the area.