Racing, Injuries, and Death

                 April 10, Chico, CA--- I am sure most everyone has seen the horrifying crash that Michael McDowell had during his qualifying run at Texas Motor Speedway. My first thought was, I just watched another driver get killed. Thankfully he walked away without a scratch. The new NASCAR COT works and I think this wreck proved that. Not everyone this week was so lucky. 

 Thompson International Speedway, CT had yet another death. On lap three of the Northeastern Midget Association (NEMA) feature, Shane Hammond of Halifax, MA flipped after hitting the wheel of another car and then flipped into a billboard sign. Mike Fields covers the Icebreaker here and the details of this wreck. 

Now all drivers know that dangers that can happen during a race. Some drivers can spend their whole career without a “big one” and others have them their first start. Harli White, of Lindsay, OK finds herself in a fight for her life right now, as her first race in a sprint car at the I-44 Speedway in southwest Oklahoma City turned out very bad for her. 

Harli suffered 3^rd degree burns over most of her body, after her car hit the wall and burst into flames only a few laps into the race. She is currently hospitalized in a Galveston, Texas hospital recovering from one, of many surgeries she faces in the next few weeks.  

Donnie Ray Crawford and Harli’s father Charlie White pulled the 12 year old racer from her car, trying to smother the flames. 

 "I thought for sure I was smothering a dead girl,” said Crawford as he was belted in his own car waiting for his race to start. 

 "I think it was a miracle of God, really,” her father, Charlie White, said of her survival. 

The White Family has a long background in racing as Charlie White has been a racer for years, so when the word “fire” was heard over the radio he didn’t think too much of it. As fires do happen in racing, most are very small and drivers have protective suits to keep them from being burned 

Donnie Crawford heard the screams of “FIRE!” as he jumped out of his car to go help Harli White.  "When I got there, I'd never seen a fire like that.” 

"It was the most horrific thing I've ever seen. No one should ever have to see something like that,” said Scott Waddell, who has two daughters that also race at the track. "It just erupted ... it was like it had an endless supply of fuel.” 

The crowd watched in horror as the 2 men tried to get the young girl out of the flames. When Crawford reached her car, he removed the steering wheel and saw the girl was spitting up the flame retardant the emergency crews had sprayed on the fire to try and put it out. Crawford said she was not trying to fight the flames. 

"I saw her hair. I saw she had her helmet off. I thought this was going to turn out to be horrible,” Crawford said. "It wasn't near as bad as you'd expect. It's an absolute miracle her face wasn't just completely burnt off because she had no cover, absolutely nothing fireproof on her face.” 

The men got Harli out, and rushed to paramedics, who are always on-scene during races. Harli is now at the Shriners' Burn Hospital for Children in Galveston, Texas. She is recovering from one of the many surgeries that lie ahead. 

Harli’s father has said that he will consider retiring after what happened to his daughter. Harli was doing what she had been longing to do her whole life; RACE. 

Harli is currently sedated to help her body heal from massive burns, but she was awake and alert before her first surgery.

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Don Runkle has worked for Causey Motorsports in Hampton, Va. for 4 years, was a part-time Crew Chief for Rette Causey,  driver of #33 INEX/Legends car in 2005 at Langley Speedway in Virginia, as well as being a crew member for Brad Causey in Grand Stock division at Langley Speedway.  He's currently the webmaster of CauseyRacing.com.

Runkle has been racing "online" for about 5 years, served in the US Navy as a Gunners Mate in the Navy Seabees and is currently living in Chico, Ca. in the beautiful North Valley of California, with his even more beautiful wife, Kristina. God Bless all of the troops serving around the world!

For any question, comments, complaints, or just to say “Hi” feel free to email him at DRunkle@LongIslandMotorsports.com.