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 The team has withdrawn the car from the race.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 The team has withdrawn the car from the race.
No disagreements here on the Vette's design or construction. I did not intend to knock anybody involved regarding any aspect of what happened, just suggested that an incident involving a well known and well liked driver may serve as a wake up call to review safety procedures.
I must respectfully disagree with your assertion that "there was nothing new to... learn here." There is always something; equipment, training, procedures, or what ever. As you suggested in the following paragraph, better equipment and preparation for emergency crews may be needed during practice sessions. Or (as you implied later) maybe drivers who do not race in this type of car on a regular basis should have more extensive safety training.
You are clearly very knowledgable on this subject and I appreciate your sharing that with us. I only ask that you keep an open mind regarding lessons learned.
Well, I guess the goatee is gone now.
According to Jeff Hammond, Jr wasn't wearing the fireproof underwear and under helmet protection. He says if he had been wearing the protection that was available to him, he would not have been burned at all.
I've always said Hammond is one of the geniuses of motorsports broadcasting. Fox made a smart hire in having crew chiefs working their show compared to the traditional driver-oriented coverage. If I'm Sparco, I'd give Dale Jr the underwear and bacalava too next week.
Bumping is racing. Stewart should have been suspended earlier this year for his childish actions.
Both Dale Jr. and Sr. are masters at the bump and run. I see Dale do this more often than Gordan. Gordan knows this can sometimes backfire and pretty much waits till very near the end of the race to do this.
quoting you ...
" I must respectfully disagree with your assertion that "there was nothing new to... learn here." There is always something; equipment, training, procedures, or what ever. As you suggested in the following paragraph, better equipment and preparation for emergency crews may be needed during practice sessions. Or (as you implied later) maybe drivers who do not race in this type of car on a regular basis should have more extensive safety training. "
I yield to your logic-- there is always something to learn, and the sport can always improve. There is always, however, the highest likelihood that an 'eager' driver with low seat time in a car or class will over-drive his talent and wreck. The differences in car handling dynamics, input and feedback - much like moving between aircraft types -- can be astounding in their impact. You need time in a car to really get the feel for it. I heartily agree with the idea that high-profile stock car drivers ought to get a lot of practice time in leading-edge road racing sports cars prior to operating them at speed near and over the limits of adhesion.
I will continue to bristle at the idea that the equipment/tires/design etc were at fault here. IT is a classic screw up for a low time driver to wreck early in a practice session. Paul Newman and Tom Cruise were famous for this in their old Nissans. I personally 'rescued' Paul Newman twice from turn-one screw ups at Road Atlanta where he over cooked the first turn on the first lap of the race. I got Boris Said out of an upside down Camaro at Turn 1 of Road Atlantra as well. Scott Pruett at turn 5. Pete Haslmer at turn 8/9 (when he put his MAzda on its roof -- hard to do on a straight area ... ;-) ).
My point is that drivers screw up in road racing. Not much to learn there.
Drivers and fans are quick to blame everything except the driver.
We can always make the cars safer.
Quoting you guys ---
"It must take a pretty intense fire to get burned, given todays fire suits and helmets.
According to Jeff Hammond, Jr wasn't wearing the fireproof underwear and under helmet protection. He says if he had been wearing the protection that was available to him, he would not have been burned at all."
Drivers are only required to wear two layers. If he had a two-layer suit on, he did not HAVE to wear the underwear. BUT, a smart driver in that level of racing wears a three-layer (or spec-equivalent) and uses a cool-suit. The head sock or 'belaclava' is an annoyanc on your head, but provides the only real protection for your neck, chin and lower face.
I always wore a two-piece with the nomex underwear and the belaclava and the arm restraintes and the neck brace and and and. Whether it was breaking in a new short block, bedding brakes, qualifying or racing, SAFETY FIRST.
Jeff Hammond was right -- if he had worn the available equipment, he would not be burned from that wreck. ( 20 - 20 hindsight ...)
Excellent points! The only thing I can think of to add is that we can always look for ways to improve crash procedures. There may not be anything else that can be done, but we can at least look.
Whatever, I saw the video and something was burning and doing a good job of it too.
Methanol is a higher octane fuel than gasoline. Perhaps they were using it as a cheap 'knock' preventer, drying the gas, experimaenting with compression and timing ... not sure on this one.
Why they would put (m)ethanol in a car than CANNOT legally burn it in a race is weird. Not sure about this sanctioning body, but some test the fuel in the winning cars to see if the fuel was doped. Perhaps they changed out this fuel cell to remove that question.
(I didn't know all they had to run was one lap for points)
Healing, not racing, should be Dale Jr.'s biggest concern
Darrell Waltrip / AllWaltrip.com
Posted: 5 hours ago
Darrell Waltrip: Burns are very painful — depending on where they are — but I think he will be OK to drive.
The bigger issue is the healing process. A burn takes time to heal from the inside out, and you don't want to irritate it every weekend. If I had a concern, it wouldn't be whether he can drive or not. I would be more concerned with how much time it takes for a burn to heal. If you agitate it every week, you could end up with a bigger problem like an infection.
One year after one Daytona wreck forced him out of his car early at Pocono the next race, Darrell Waltrip survived this wreck at the World Center of Racing in 1991. Click here for more information about the photo. (Bill Blose/DWStore.com)
If I were Dale Earnhardt Jr., and the burns are significant, I would think about starting the race, running to the first caution and getting somebody in the car. I would try not to aggravate those burns and make them worse than they already are.
At Pocono in 1990, I was only out of the hospital for 10 days, and my team had to literally pick me up and stick me down in the car because I had broken my leg and ribs at Daytona. Jeff Hammond and the crew had to do the same thing to get me out of it so Jimmy Horton could drive the rest of the race.
It just doesn't make any sense to me to put a guy through that kind of anguish just for one lap, and it doesn't make any sense because it affects the whole team. It can take your team out of contention. It can affect your whole year, and it can cost you the championship.
If a driver had to drive over half the race to get points, that's one thing. But all he has to do is make a lap to get the points for a whole race. It makes no sense to me. It never has, and it never will. I'm not creating a new scenario. This problem has been going on for years, and situations like Dale Jr.'s make you realize that since we're in the rule changing business this year, we might want to correct this one.
"Why they would put (m)ethanol in a car than CANNOT legally burn it in a race is weird. Not sure about this sanctioning body, but some test the fuel in the winning cars to see if the fuel was doped. Perhaps they changed out this fuel cell to remove that question."
Sorry, but there is no methanol allowed by IMSA regulations. Sunoco 100-octane unleaded gasoline is the only fuel permitted. (Teams which come from the ACO's series in Europe may not use the TotalFinaElf fuel provided by the LMES or ACO when running in North America, and teams from IMSA cannot run the Sunoco fuel used here when running in Europe.) However, the Sunoco fuel used in IMSA is NOT the same fuel used by NASCAR in Nextel Cup racing. Most US motorsport uses Sunoco fuel.
I thought so. Methanol has long been illegal in IMSA US races. Same for SCCA. I never had to worry about it since I just took my 10 gallon jugs to the Sunoco fuel pumps, along with a $100 bill. Yikes. It was nearly $5/gallon when I quit racing.
Mike Joy's not laughing. After all, when the ALMS went to Lime Rock, he took the ALMS competitors' loot as he sold the gas to the competitors through the Statesville, NC resident's New England Race Fuels company. He and a friend own the Sunoco distributorship.
He's concerned about fuel abuse if it was true.
I'm surprised that they don't have Andretti standing by (under DEI contract, not a rookie, familiar with NHIS).
Although he does have some experience in Busch Series North at NHIS.
I have a feeling Jr will not give up that easily and bail out of the car.
Are you drafting with me this week or passing? :-P (Need a Bud rear bumper, or DeWalt front bumper pic)
ps: Sunday will be July birthday party day, be there.
Although he does have some experience in Busch Series North at NHIS.
So a Busch rookie can be a relief driver (with permission because he's not a Cup regular - from Jayski), but a Cup rookie can't? Interesting.
Are you drafting with me this week or passing? :-P (Need a Bud rear bumper, or DeWalt front bumper pic)
As long as the straight is straight, I'll push :-)
I'm glad you're not Tony Stewart. :-P
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