I think I've told one of these types of stories before
happened a couple times to me
I've been on fire at 180, does that count ?
I was doing a pass at Sacramento Raceway
test pass for upcoming points race, in my 23 Altered
View attachment 1202209
I had a breather hose to the frame top tube,
that goes into a puke tank in the back 'blow of'
in front of the engine on my right side
at about 800ft, oil was pumping/sort of vacuum'd/sucked
out onto the top of my helmet/face shield, neck, chest, gloves etc.
(open cockpit car/think fuel Altered)
on a Blown alcohol combo, lots of pressure in the pan
hence the puke tank in the back of the car (just like FC)
it caught fire
I assume by the exhaust or something hot
I thought the worst, I was sort of in a panic
I was blinded still, but I knew what to do,
sort of been there before
not my 1st rodeo...
I thought I jerked the butterfly wheel when (oil/methanol cloud)
oil hit me...
I was blinded, instantly, had no idea where I was
on track or what
& I hit the chute/s lever/s on my cage/left side
as quick as I could
& got on the binders/hand brake & fuel shutoff hard
(both are on the same lever), hopping like crazy
I skipped & slide to a complete stop
Thinking
Oh ****,
I have methanol diluted 70wt all over me
from my shoulders up, hit the onboard fire bottles
I could see a lil' fire thru my oil covered face-shield
remember this is all happening
in like 2-3 seconds of real-time...
car still ran 7.90-something on the brakes
car would run 6.90s at 190+
I do wear a Nomex
head sock & underwear & 3/20/5 sfi firesuit
fire boots over race shoes, gloves, arm restraints etc.
all good for about 20 seconds in a 2000* fire
I somehow unbuckled my 6 pt harness &
bailed out of the stopped car...
I thought I was in the sandtrap at the end
I struggled to get my helmet off, with 70w all over me
finally got my helmet off...
Stood there trying to catch my breath from the
Halon fire system fumes
I noticed I was barely 200' past the 1320' finish line
lil' fire still going on the right side where the hose blew off
Tracks fire & safety crew, an ambulance was upon me
in a few more seconds...
my crew were coming up in my truck
'sort of laughing'
they said;
they never saw someone stop so fast from 180 to zero
I was hopping like 2' off the back tires & full chutes blossoming
my biggest fear was always fire
seemed like it lasted forever,
a whole lot more time/or distance than reality
I know it's not like being in a war or a firefight
& it was funny as hell afterwards
but;
at the time (my thought were) I was fighting for my life
deadly/healthy respect or afraid of fire
It happened a few times in my racing career,
a lot worse in a doored car going 200+
way harder to get out of "quickly"
but that was the most/worst time I felt I was going to die
carry on