The car will quickly go up in flames in seconds.
A car caught on fire is one of the most dangerous situations that could happen at a racetrack. It puts the driver in danger and makes it difficult for rescuers to reach the vehicle to save him. Fires often spread quickly, leaving only a few seconds for rescuers to respond. When Mike Jones was left in the middle track, with flames coming from his engine bay, Dean, his father, did the right thing. He jumped the pit wall and ran to his son’s car to pull him out of the wreckage.
The video of this heroic accident is very short. The race car catches on fire in just five seconds following the impact. It does so before it comes to a halt after it has made contact with another vehicle. Dean is the first to arrive on the scene. However, it was already 10 seconds later.
You can see Mike getting out of his car and putting fuel down the track. This helps to light the fire. The fire was contained in the engine bay, which is a good thing. Mike would have been more at risk if the fire had spread to his cabin. Dean takes six more seconds to remove Mike from his burning car. Fire crews arrived at that point to put out the flames. Both were able to escape without injury.
This video is a chilling reminder about how quickly a crash on the track can occur and how fast it can turn from a minor incident to a life-threatening situation in seconds. This accident was saved by Dean’s quick thinking and the swift actions of the fire department and safety crews.