In nearly 20 years of going to the drag strip now (mostly in a working environment) I have learned a few things but the most important thing I have learned is that the starting line is an incredibly dangerous place and anything can happen there at any minute. From engines exploding on the burnout and shooting parts, to car getting stuck in reverse and running other cars over, to instances like this of a crew person nearly being run over, you literally have to be on your toes every second that you’re up at the line. It may sound dramatic but it isn’t and this video proves why. The fact that the crew guy is able to get himself out of the way of a slick spinning at a stunning rate of speed here is nothing short of miraculous. If those tires had bit instead of spinning, he’d be very injured or dead. End of story.
One of the reasons that the starting line is so dangerous is the communication aspect. People like to bag on sportsman teams that use radios to talk back and forth in the starting area but the fact is that if these guys were wearing them this would have never happened. Also, if the crew guy was standing ahead of the driver in a position he could have been seen there would have been no drama either. The helmeted driver had no clue that this dude was behind him and how could he?
The routine that drivers and teams develop on the starting line is done for many reasons. There’s the benefit of consistency to get the driver comfortable and there is the benefit of safety. If the driver knows not to start his burnout until the crewman signals him, this doesn’t happen. We’re not sure if someone broke the normal protocol, if one of these guys is new working with the other or what, but this is one of the craziest close calls we have ever seen. The cat-like reflexes of the crew guy saved his bacon this time but we’d sure not want to see him try that again.
Oh, and how about Ron Leek’s call? “WHAT’S WRONG WITH THAT GUY?!”
IT DOES NOT COME ANY CLOSER THAN THIS! PRESS PLAY BELOW TO SEE A CREW GUY ESCAPE HORRIBLE INJURY OR WORSE AT BYRON DRAGWAY –
Classic Ron Leek announcing. “what the heck is with that guy”
He should make a jester or anything so the driver knows his position.
I put this on the crewman. The driver can’t see him, and thinks he’s ready. The crewman has let his focus shift to something out of frame on the right, and is not paying attention. Bad idea while standing next to a high herspwr dragster like that.