We constantly harp on being safe and being prepared if you are wanting to get behind the wheel and go do anything. From just something simple like putting on a seatbelt to making sure your race car has every last thing done right, inspected and ready, we insist that you do it right, because when the shit hits the fan it hits in a big way and usually faster than you will ever be prepared to deal with it. You can claim that you’re ready for anything, but the second you get your bell run in an accident, all that machismo and bluster will go flying right out of the window and the difference between the pain of seeing your pride and joy crushed and the kind of pain that needs Dilaudid to numb comes down to preparation and planning well in advance. Constant reviews, practice for emergency esacapes, and what to do from the first impact until you’re a safe distance away from the machine will be that difference.

To wit, we turn to Ken Block and the recent accident he had out at the New England Forest Rally. His Ford Escort Cosworth RS has been his project this year, taking point as his rallycross machine. But sadly, that has come to an end…during a stage of the rally, the gearbox had a failure that caused a late shift, which put the car into the path of a rock that rolled the Cosworth over twice. Block was fully ready to continue when the Ford landed on it’s wheels…right up until flames started licking from under the hood with intent. As the fire swiftly grew in intensity, Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino immediately switch to emergency mode. You can see muscle memory motions come into play as the two made a hasty exit and you can hear them trying to get the fire extinguisher before it was deemed too risky. The Ford is a briquet at this point, but that isn’t the lesson here. Both driver and co-driver walked away from what became a hellish scene.