Posted on 07/18/2004 10:54:47 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
Edited on 07/18/2004 11:16:00 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
SONOMA, Calif. (AP) -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. was treated for minor burns on his face and legs and hospitalized after an accident Sunday during practice for the American Le Mans Series Infineon Grand Prix of Sonoma.
Medical officials at Infineon Raceway described the injuries as ``moderate-sized burns of moderate intensity.'' Earnhardt was flown to the University of California-Davis Medical Center in Sacramento for precautionary reasons.
During a 30-minute practice, Earnhardt's Chevrolet Corvette C5-R spun and hit a barrier in turn eight of the road racing track, catching fire. Earnhardt quickly got out of the car on his own before being assisted by safety crews.
Earnhardt, who regularly competes in the Nextel Cup Series, was to have driven in Sunday's ALMS race with veteran road racing driver Boris Said. The team has withdrawn the car from the race.
Earnhardt Jr. burned in Grand Am practice crash
By Marty Smith, Turner Sports Interactive July 18, 2004
1:25 PM EDT (1725 GMT)
SONOMA, Calif. - Dale Earnhardt Jr. suffered moderate burns to his facial and lower extremities Sunday morning in an accident during American LeMans Series practice at Infineon Raceway.
Track spokesman John Cardinale said Earnhardt was transported to the University of California-Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, Infineon's designated hospital for burn treatment.
According to an American LeMans Series statement, Earnhardt was driving a Chevrolet Corvette C5-R in a 30-minute practice session when the accident occurred. The car spun and impacted a barrier in the Turn 8 section of the road-racing track, then caught fire. Earnhardt quickly exited the car on his own, and was then assisted by safety crews.
Earnhardt, who regularly competes in NASCAR's Nextel Cup Series, was scheduled to co-drive in today's Infineon Grand Prix of Sonoma with veteran road racing driver Boris Said. The team has withdrawn the car from the race.
Per Fox News.........John Cardinale hospital spokesman..
Jr being examined right now at hospital by burn specialist.
No info as to whether he will be released today.
OMG! Dale Earnhardt JR! Prayers that he healed quickly and completely!
Amen.
Hopefully his injuries weren't as bad as the pictures made it look...
I thought it looked like he was dragged out of the car and fell to the ground. Believe he was in shock.
Reports I've heard stated 2nd degree burns at the inside of both legs and on his chin. 6% coverage.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/9191293.htm?1c
Æ
ROTFLMAO!!!!!!
Bad to have a spokesman with the name of "CRISP."
WOW... Welcome back CD. I think of you often...
Thank you! I riffle! hahahaha
Earnhardt Jr. released. heading home! WOW
"I wonder if someone forgot to tighten a hose clamp on the filler tube when they changed the cell...
You know, that's a brilliant insight. Something caused the car to spin out. It was only a practice session and it didn't look to me as though the cars were up to speed, yet. (Can't be sure of this from the short clip I saw.)
Yesterday the owners, people from that car's crew, and the race announcers were speculating that maybe it was cold tires. But what if it was fuel leaking and getting on the tires? In any case, as I said earlier on this thread, I hope Junior never participates in one of these second-rate series again"
Having run both on super speedways and road courses AND been directly involved in the sport for decades, I can tell you that the American LeMans series is not second rate series.
EVERYONE who drives a race car at that level knows about cold tires. Jr. knows about cold tires. Fuel overflows on those cars go out the stern of the vehicle and generally does not get on your OWN tires, but can get on the tires and visor of the guys behind you. Fuel ain't that slippery, believe me. Cold tires are much more slippery than gasoline. Oil is the worst, along with tire marbles and cold tires.
Also you wrote "Something caused the car to spin out."
From years of experience, I'd say that something was the driver. Other factors might have made it easier to spin, but fundamentally the driver is behind the wheel of a car that gives you a LOT of feedback about its abilities.
The easiest way to spin a high horsepower car like that is to 'pinch' a turn -- meaning you miss (drive past) the turn-in point and try to hit the apex anyway. it is aggravated but trail braking or abrupt throttle after turn in. In other words, DRIVERS (self included) are quick to blame the track/ other drivers/ equipment/ etc., -- anything but their own ability to screw up. I personally have managed to spin out within 100' of leaving the false grid and entering the racce course, at speeds under 40 MPH.
Net: this aint no second rate series, and I'd look first at the driver for the cause of a screw up early in a PRACTICE session.
Senior started out on dirt tracks, wearing nothing but jeans, a T shirt and a helmet. I still miss him very much.
Wow no shoes he was one tough cookie
"Officials said the crash broke the fuel filler neck, where the gas is poured into the car, briefly turning the Corvette into a fireball after it came to a stop in the middle of the track. "
OK, this is BS as well. In addition to being a retired race driver, I used to be a race track fire fighter AND I personally have assembled fuel cells.
(1) Fuel cells are metal boxes with a THICK rubber bladder set inside another metal frame. The fuel cells are generally filled with a porous open cell foam to reduce slosh and splash.
(2) Now, I have been out of racing for 4 years, BUT it used to be that ALL fuel cells filler pipe entry points were above the center line of the 'tank, and generally on the top of the fuel cell.
(3) Many fuel cell had 'flapper valves' to prevent leakage if the filler pipe came loose.
(4) LIQUID gasoline does NOT BURN! only vapors of gasoline burn, so a LOT of liquid gasoline had to exit the fuel cell rapidly in order to make this kind of fire.
Just because the filler neck broke does NOT mean the car would turn into a fireball. This is written in ignorance. A ruptured or PUNCTURED fuel cell leaks a lot of fuel, but a loose filler pipe does not.
Watch a road race early - you will see fuel sloshing out of the overflows A LOT! Practice sessions almost never begin with a full fuel tank. Maybe his did. It would be odd though. Anyway, fuel leaving the verhicle through the overflow does not create a conflagration. It spills onto the car body, it spills onto the track surfacce, it get on the visor of the guy behind you, but it evaporates fast. no harm no foul.
IF indeed he hit the tire wall hard enough to knock off the filler pipe, then he might have a fuel leak, but it ought to have leaked into the metal surrounds/containers that hold the bladder.
This EXCUSE stinks.
quoting your question --
"If the "pneumatiques" were cold, why wasn't Dale Jr informed of them? "
Oh please. When u start a practice session your tires are cold for two laps, even in CA. EVERY drivers knows to warm their brakes, tires, and their mind. SOme guys get a little too wound up on the first two laps and this happens. You can't win a practice session.
Blue,
Did you see the view from the under-car camera? I think Junior rode over something when he spun out that tore up some component (or components) of his fuel tank and fill system, spilling the fuel.
Personally, I just hope that he will be OK and that everyone looks at this as a "lessons learned" opportunity rather than a "CYA" situation.
[BTW, this is in response to your comments overall rather than a specific post.]
LOL! No no! I think he wore boots! :)
This I think should make the ACO think twice about car safety. Also remember this was Dale Jr's first race running pneumatiques Michelin. Most of his races have been on Goodyear or Hoosier tires depending on the level. Michelin is used on the ASA and USAR Hooters ProCup.
ACO is probably covering up because they don't investigate many crashes of a fiery nature. NASCAR safety on fuel pumps might be better than ACO.
If I am the ACO, I'd mandate fire extinguishers near the fuel cell and key mounting points to prevent such a crash again. To the ACO, DEJR at Infineon is the equivalent of MSchumacher or Montoya running an LMES or the 24 Heures.
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