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Really frightening footage. I guess it shows how far the sport has come safety wise as, at one time, fire was a race driver's worst fear. It is truly amazing that there were no fatalities in this accident. There were some real heroes that night to say the least.
In about 1957 or 1958, I was a "fledgling" racing fan and had started attending "modified sportsman" races at the old Balboa Stadium in San Diego. The cars were basically cut down jalopies with high performance engines -- sort of a "run what ya brung" operation that was sanctioned by the San Diego Racing Association. I can remember attending a race one Saturday night and taking my younger brother for his very first race -- and I believe it was his last. In the main event one of the cars driven by a Navy Petty Officer named Frenchie Faulkner got upside down and another car hit it and the fuel tank was broken with the result that fuel spilled out onto the track and quickly caught fire. Faulkner was a large man and his weight was all on the snap type fastener that held him in the seat belt -- this was before quick release devices. As the fire grew in intensity, several other drivers and pit men as well as safety men tried to get the driver's weight off the snap so that they could get him out; however, it was all to no avail. I can remember another driver named Ralph Jasper who nosed his car up to Faulkner's burning car and it appeared as though he was going to try to bump the car and either push it down the track out of the flaming fuel or bump it upright; however, he was waved off by others. The end result was the the Faulkner car burned for a long time with him in it. I will always remember the plume of smoke rising in the night sky. I have no idea how long it was before the San Diego Fire Department arrived on the scene as I could see what was happening and my brother and I left the track; however, their presence was necessary to put the fire out.
At the time I had a summer job that took me past an impound lot and for several weeks I could see the charred nose of Faulkner's car each time I passed the lot.
To the credit of the San Diego Racing Association they procured a fire suit like was used in those days by military airport firemen and increased the number of fire extinguishers dramatically.
By the way, does anyone know how big the track in the video was? It looks as though it was a huge track, certainly larger than a half mile.
Tucson Osty
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