The Fire

I just came in from a heat race and was being called out for the next race.  A friend, who helped me in the pits on my car, told me to stay in the car and he would put the fuel in.  He did, but forgot to put the fuel cap back on!, so I started the race and after 10 - 12 laps, I think Tommy Thomson spin out, not sure, so we race back to the yellow, when I went passed the flagman and backed off the gas the car backfired and I notice that the car was on fire.  I tried to go down to the infield, but Dave Masters, I think, was below me, so I went up high into turn one and put the car into the wall to stop and get out, but that caused the fuel in the tank to go forward in the car on to me and everything and at that point I thought I better get out of there.  As I left the car head first, I notice the car had not stopped and was still moving along, but what choice do you have, so I rolled out of the car only to get hit by the rear nerf bar and put down on to the track only to see my car run into Tommy Thomson's car and stop.  When I think about it, I was very lucky as the car was still moving the air pushed the flames off me to the back of the car that kept me from being burned, but I was pretty sore.  After that I think I sucked down six sodas, sorry no beer in the pits.

                                                                                                                       Steve Hampton
        
        This is the story behind Steve's encounter with a fuel spill and fire.  
      Photos of this episode can be seen in the 1975 section on the "Cars" page.