On December 5, 2009, I was buzzing around Thunderhill Raceway in the No. 19 Team MER Super Mazda MX-5 for NASA’s seventh annual 25-hour race. I was having a blast and had high hopes of defending our overall win from the previous year. World Challenge power and numerous other updates gave us one fast Mazda Miata.
At about the seven-hour …
This article scared the living E36 M3 out of me.
I printed enough copies to hand out to all the late model drivers a few years back when I was the tech guy. It really does make you think about the risks, even if the odds are slim of anything like that really happening to you.
I hate it when that happens.
That was eye opening. Might install a shaft hoop on my turd.
All the more reminder to install a fire suppression system on my car before I ever get out on a track... never go anywhere without the extinguisher, but it may not be enough.
Anyone know if a driveshaft loop would be necessary on a carbon fiber shaft? Fabrication doesn't scare me, but I would think it would turn into a nice street sweeper before causing any body damage?
My Challenge car came with an old fire suppression system installed. Can those things be recharged? Should they?
That's a good article.
Charles has been doing well in endurance racing, just got 2nd place in the 12 hours of Navarra in Spain with the PROsport Performance team along with Joe Foster and Charley Putnam running in the A6-am class. They only missed top spot on the podium by a second or two with the new AMG Mercedes they're still sorting. The race was part of the Creventic series which I've found to be great races to watch on you tube.
I believe he's been involved with safety equipment and has something to do with the triangular arm nets we see in sports car racing now. I've been looking at the ones made by Safecraft. Maybe it's time for some updates from Charles in GRM?
One thing that always Urkes me when looking at races cars it "HELMET HOOK"'s When your on fire and or upside down in a wreck those things that seem so simple can kill you.
Having been upside down with water lapping in the windows after being "Punted" off the track i can tell you you learn quickly how bad things can get in a Mila second.
This is making me rethink my current fire fighting setup in my own car....
IMHO--- one of the best articles we've ever published. It's rare that a magazine article can save your life-----this one can.
Thanks Charles!
I'm racing the Camaro for the first time in months this weekend. I think I'm going to practice emergency bailout before the first session. In fact, I'm going to practice before I load the car in the trailer.
In reply to Charles Espenlaub :
I've known Charles for about 30 years. What he says is correct. I've had two incidents. One in Canada where I gave up my practice spot (done for the day) and my teammate had the car explode on him, no idea where the manual pull switch was for the fire system, and got burned bad. I never drove with my visor open ever again. As for me, I went to Stand 21 at Sebring during a Trans Am race in 2014. They had a burned uniform displayed. I asked the guy why they had that. "I proves you can't be burned in our suits". Really? So during the race I smell something on fire. Hit the brakes in 13 and the car is engulfed in smoke and flames. My shoulder belts were already burned off. When I went by the 21 stand, I showed the guy how badly I was burned. Take all precautions lads. Keep you visors down, wear all of the equipment. Know where the fire system manual pull is. Trust me.....not fun. Listen to this guy....he's one of the best racers I ever met.
You are very lucky! I lost a friend at Charlotte back in 1992 from a fuel cell rupture.
Hearing someone screaming for their life above the sound of a racetrack isn't something you forget. I can't agree more with all of your safety corrections. Also agree to practice pilot mentality. Sit in the car, even (especially) if it is part of a rental team and rehearse over and over. Build the muscle memory and the memory item checklist. ]
Good to hear you are ok!
So happy to see this article still being passed around. There's a bit of a backstory to how it all came together, but the ends are really all that matter: Charles survived, and his story continues to help our scene.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
Thought it would be a good time to bump this after watching the Mark Petronis video.
Not at all the same thing but I was testing a shot for a film (Ford v ferrari) where a smoke bomb goes off while driving.
it went off but kept going far longer than I had expected. I pulled into the pits and it quickly started filling the cabin. I went to pull out to evacuate the smoke but only went about 10' before I couldn't see and had to stop. In the 10 seconds it took to get out, I admit I was fighting panic.
not because of fire -I knew it wasn't burning. But because the smoke was so thick and powerful, it made breathing impossible and I was blind. And now I'm belted into a caged, unfamiliar vehicle and can't breathe or see anything at all.
it gave me a wake up call about fire danger and that there are other threats besides the heat that can make the situation so challenging.
In reply to jfryjfry :
Ugh, being strapped into an unfamiliar car that's filling with smoke sounds terrifying.
How many of us actually practice escaping our cars? And can you do it blindfolded?
David S. Wallens said:In reply to jfryjfry :
Ugh, being strapped into an unfamiliar car that's filling with smoke sounds terrifying.
How many of us actually practice escaping our cars? And can you do it blindfolded?
And for tin tops - practice going out the passenger or rear hatch of the car. With and without detaching the steering wheel -and with your hans still attached! I remember reading a story about Jeff Altenburg being in a fire and having to wait for the fire to burn enough of the window net cause his HANs was stuck.
In reply to Kendall_Jones :
All good points. What if your car comes to rest against the driver's side?
In reply to David S. Wallens :
I've actually put thought into how I would get out of the car if it were on it's side.
First, glad you survived and glad you told us the story. We can get pretty cavalier about face-shields, up, memorizing fire extinguisher cable-pull location, etc. But a question. It was never determined how the fire occurred? Really? Was it at the cell, at the engine, diff, in front of you initially, behind, etc?
Thanks much for posting!
Chris
Great reminders to practice the GTFO routine with your EYES CLOSED.
This story makes all that damage control training I got in the navy tingle.
Pre-race checklist for every race from now on, to include egress drill.
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