1988 Budweiser Springnationals

The 1988 running of the NHRA Budweiser Springnationals from National Trail Raceway in Columbus, Ohio.  In nitro funny car round one, there was a very serious incident, involving Tulsa, Oklahoma racer, Ron Dudley, when his funny car smoked the tires, and then... bang!  A major engine explosion, that resulted in a fire.  Another funny car, becomes a four wheeled volcano.  Dudley tried mightily to scrub off speed and get the heck out of the car, but the fiberglass body, stayed on, as we saw earlier with another fire that would happen over a year later, to then funny car rookie, Don Gay Jr.

Ron Dudley swerves the car towards the guardrail and stops the car by nudging the guardrail.  The car was on fire both inside and out, which is very scary for a driver.  Dudley, perhaps was being seriously burned inside that inferno while trying to stop the vehicle and get the heck out of it.  He can't see.  There's flames, and noxious black smoke, billowing from the car.  The NHRA Safety Safari caught up to the burning funny car, and went about the process of rescuing Ron Dudley from this drive through hell he'd just as soon not taken.  Safety Safari fireman Jerry Grice, and paramedic Ronnie Davis, saved Ron Dudley's life. Grice ripped the burning fiberglass away to save Dudley.  Thank God for the safety workers.

They paid a price, though, as four of the medics had to be hospitalized themselves.  Jerry Grice was hospitalized for smoke inhalation and an injured shoulder, Randy Robbins was treated for burns on his hands, Butch Orr for burns on his arms, and Ronnie Davis, the head EMT for the NHRA, was burned on his hands, while resuscitating Ron Dudley.  But, all involved, made a full recovery.  There would be no racing, without the safety crews and paramedics.

After Dudley's frightening fire, and heroic rescue, more great racing ensued at Columbus.   Check it out.