NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr suffered minor burns to his face and legs on Sunday when his car spun out of control and caught fire during a practice run for the American Le Mans Series race in California.

Officials at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma said Earnhardt, whose father Dale Earnhardt was killed in a race car in 2001, was taken to a hospital for observation and will likely stay the night, but his condition was not a cause for concern.

"He is okay. He had minor facial burns and burns on his lower extremity," a raceway official said.

The accident happened during Sunday morning practice when Earnhardt's Chevrolet Corvette spun out and hit a concrete barrier. The car burst into flames but Earnhardt quickly climbed out on his own, officials said.

The car was destroyed and Earnhardt's team had to withdraw from Sunday's race.

The popular Dale Earnhardt Sr -- a seven-times NASCAR series champion -- was killed in 2001 on the last turn of the final lap of the Daytona 500 in Florida.