It must take a pretty intense fire to get burned, given todays fire suits and helmets.
The car went up in a heck of fireball after it stopped. I doubt if that Corvette will ever see the track again.
When you're talking about racing fuel, everything is intense. It was extremely hot, and it took him several seconds to unharness himself from the seat. When he did get out, he fell flat on the ground, but walked assisted over to the safety barrier.
I didn't see it ..But Mr. Mo1 said it went up pretty fast
Also if I recall .. Jr. still wears an open face helmet
What causes the burns is the sweat trapped in the firesuit and the the heat steam burns the body, only if the driver is trapped does the fire actually do the burning- most are steam burns.
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.