What A ride......

[EdKaz]

 As part of a large family deeply entrenched in Dirt Track racing for the past 35 years, we all know that accidents will and DO happen. We also know that as the family continues to grow, and as the youngsters get older and want to follow in fathers, uncles, cousins and brothers footsteps.......the odds of something happening to and or within our family swells to be NOT in our favor.

NOTHING could prepare us for the roller coaster ride we had all endured this past weekend though.

"Our" youngest (19yr old) racer John, was involved in a wreck Sat night that sent shivers down the spines of not just our family, but MANY that witnessed the  VIOLENT crash, and aftermath he was involved in.

The class he has raced in now for 3 years was one we all thought was relatively safe......a 4 cyl class that typically keeps speeds down, and allows kids to get their "feet wet". SAFETY is  a huge concern in that class.

Johns car hit a  tire, and when it did, it sent his car end over end, and barrel rolling  for what seemed FOREVER....reminiscent of a 200mph Nascar crash with parts scattering all over the track as the car hit the track surface each time it rolled. Video of the crash show the car rolled and  flipped no less than 6 times.

Track emergency crew were QUICK to get to the car.........and found John unconscious. Fearing a serious back injury they went to work to extract him............

First up.........their version of the "jaws of life".........damn things would open as they were designed to do, but when trying to use them to cut away even the thinnest of metal they stalled........... a pair of garden sheers would have done more. The crew struggled and adjusted, and tried multiple times to get their tool to work.........NADA

Meanwhile John was fading in and out......when he would come to, it would be for but a few seconds.......long enough to let out a loud blood curdling scream.....and then silence.

10-15 minutes had already past when the crew finally gave up on "jaws"  and fired up their grinding type saw. Vrooommm.......blah
Vrooooom .....blahhhh.....dump the gas in the thing, pour new in it.......vrooom....blahhhh

All the while track officials and their rent a cops kept shoving family members away from the immediate area of the car and threatening to call police if they disobeyed their "orders".

20 minutes plus AFTER the crash, John was STILL fading in and out, and was no closer to getting out of the wreckage than when the car first came to rest.

Family members took over with borrowed sawzalls from other pit crews and TRIED to go to work cutting the boy out. Initially they were shoved to the ground, and away from the car by the tracks rent a cops. As other drivers got between the car and track officials and their looney rent a cops, family members FINALLY got to start cutting John out.
The local FD was called by MANY fans as well as family members, and were BEGGING the FD to send extrication equipment to the track.

Their initial response was that the track HAD its own emergency crew on hand..........until they became FLOODED with calls for help.

By the time the FD EMTs ( and local police) arrived, some  45 minutes AFTER the accident occurred, FAMILY MEMBERS had the the car cut up enough for them to be able get to the boy, and pull him out.

John was first sent to the local Hospital, and lsoon after transferred to OSF in Peoria where he has undergone a large number of tests. We spent the night and most of Sunday at the hospital with him and his parents, praying that he would just wake up.

He finally did wake up late yesterday morning and sent the whole room into tears when he opened his eyes, looked around...... and asked why everyone was in his BEDROOM.

He has a few ruptured discs, is bruised all up,  but At this point the Drs say he WILL be OK........ and is coming home later today!!!!

Undaunted by his experience that sent the rest of the family on a wild ride of emotions, as well as him to the hospital, and even after seeing videos of his crash....... hes joking about what a ride that MUST have been and wishes he remembered what it was like.  

All the lil shit keeps talking about is getting the brace off his neck.......and his NEXT car.......while the rest of have started collecting bubble wrap to fill his "next car" with

[PaulineMi]

What a nightmare!  Glad to hear John is relatively okay.  At that age they heal quickly.  Now for the parents and grandparents....getting over that incident will take a while longer.

[BillT]

Wow. Good to hear he's OKish.
Have him buy some lottery tickets. Sounds like he's lucky.

Sounds like the race track will have some answering to do.

[Mugwump]

Ouch....I'm glad to hear that he's going to be ok...whew, quite a ride is right!!...he's a very lucky young man...

[Ron Sower]

I chalk it up to intrepid youth..! You can't hold 'em down long! Glad he's okay...Ron

[wsantia1]

Good to hear he is alright. That's the most important thing.

[Barb]

Wow Ed, with your description of events, I almost feel like I was there to see it all.  Glad things are way better than they first appeared to be.
Barb

[LizStreithorst]

Wow!  Thank God it ended so much better than it might have.  The young man has guts.

[JR]

Glad he is going to be ok Ed.

[P4Angels2]

Glad to hear that he is doing so well!! I as an EMT have worked the Sunday night races in years past in Vinton and can remember a few really nasty crashes but thanks to all the safety gear they have to wear they all were able to walk away!!!

[EdKaz]

 Thanks for all the shared concern.

Just got back from visiting with him. Now that the hospital administrated drugs have wore off some more, he is feeling pretty sore.

We were able to watch a few other videos that people had shared with us today........he is a VERY FORTUNATE young man

[b125killer]

I'm happy he's going to be okay.  That had to be so scary for you guys.

[BallAquatics]

Very glad to hear he is going to be fine.  Here's wishing him a speedy recovery.

Dennis