Terrible Crash- Steve Read

[Just Paul]

Steve Read just had a nasty one in the ex Gary Clapshaw Spirit of Las Vegas dragster over the weekend.

All you can do is watch the tape........
YouTube - Drag Racing at WSID - Steve Read Incident


There are a couple other vids from other angles on the right.

No injuries at all, except a broken pinky-Amazing.

 

[Toejam]

Man, looked like his throttle was hung Wide open for 8 secs!

 

[vegasnitro]

OMG ... those candles were lit WAY beyond the finish line ... the real spooky part is the car disappears from view ... then you just see the flash of light from the crash/explosion.

Glad to hear he is OK.

 

[elvis]

Somebody loves that guy. WOW.

 

[mike]

My stomach sunk, when I saw the flames still standing past the finish line on saturday, then the explosion... Probably the most scariest incidents I've seen at the track.

At the time I thought that might be it, then to hear the announcer say that Steve was getting out was a huge relief!

Steve, and his partner Heather, and crew are such wonderful people, and for this to happen was very dis heartning, but the main thing is Steve was fine. Cars can be replaced, humans can't.

Michael.

 

[Dave]

That did look spooky. Glad he's OK. The part that makes me feel bad is that was the car that "Big" used when he ran his first 4 at 300 MPH.

Dave

 

[Bullet]

Apparently the throttle had stuck on an earlier run that weekend.

Very lucky guy!

 

[James]

Not to bring up Scott k's wreck,but this guy had to hit the sand trap at a big amount of speed. How long is the shut down/sand trap there? And obviously we're talking about a dragster compared to a funny car,but hitting a sand trap at big speeds is never good.

 

[Just Paul]

Looks like a ton of sand to me.

 

[Toejam]

My stomach sunk, when I saw the flames still standing past the finish line on saturday, then the explosion... Probably the most scariest incidents I've seen at the track.

At the time I thought that might be it, then to hear the announcer say that Steve was getting out was a huge relief!

Steve, and his partner Heather, and crew are such wonderful people, and for this to happen was very dis heartning, but the main thing is Steve was fine. Cars can be replaced, humans can't.

Michael.

Michael, the Motor explosion is probably the best thing that could've happened!

 

[Bullet]

Not to bring up Scott k's wreck,but this guy had to hit the sand trap at a big amount of speed. How long is the shut down/sand trap there? And obviously we're talking about a dragster compared to a funny car,but hitting a sand trap at big speeds is never good.

Goggle Earth tells me:

1970' - Finish to Start of Sand Trap
355' - Sand Trap Length
11' - Depth of tire wall at the end of the sand trap
155' - Distance from back of tire wall to property fence
47' - Distance from fence to public road

If you open Google Earth and type the following 33°48'45"S 150°52'18"E in the "Fly To" box it will take you to the track.

 

[Just Paul]

Michael, the Motor explosion is probably the best thing that could've happened!

He probably ment the explosion after the car went off the end of the track.

 

[Tim5636sc]

Goggle Earth tells me:

1970' - Finish to Start of Sand Trap
355' - Sand Trap Length
11' - Depth of tire wall at the end of the sand trap155' - Distance from back of tire wall to property fence
47' - Distance from fence to public road

If you open Google Earth and type the following 33°48'45"S 150°52'18"E in the "Fly To" box it will take you to the track.

And those numbers most likely saved his life!!! Thank god!

 

[.]

My stomach sunk, when I saw the flames still standing past the finish line on saturday...

This happened to me at Bakersfield with John Shoemaker, except with sound.
If you watch enough runs, your ears will know when it's right and when it's not. My stomach sank.

Amazing Steve is OK! Really lucky guy!!! Whew! Very scary accident.

 

[Toejam]

When Scott Kalitta returned to FC he was at Phx testing, and on one pass his burst panel came off into the Injector preventing it from closing! That Motor stayed wide open for about 3-4 seconds past the finishline! I swore he ended up in Tucson, but becuase the Motor blew up he ended up getting it stopped somehow!

 

[Nitrohaulic]

Glad he's okay. Stuck throttle was my first thought when it still had flames while crossing the center.

 

[vegasnitro]

I am not criticizing Steve by any means, lord knows he had his hands plenty full, but when he realized he was way past the finish line and the candles were still lit ... why not hit the chutes? It would slow the car and put a tremendous load on the motor.

 

[bing]

Our whole crew were standing on the hill as we sat out that session and like the rest of the crowd stood there in complete silence until it came over the PA that he was moving in the cockpit. The Pom and his partner Heather are the 2 nicest people in drag racing and have already assured all their fans they will be back on the strip in no time.

The spirit of Las Vegas is no more but will always be remembered as the best looking fuel car to grace an Australian drag strip.

 

[Nitrohaulic]

I am not criticizing Steve by any means, lord knows he had his hands plenty full, but when he realized he was way past the finish line and the candles were still lit ... why not hit the chutes? It would slow the car and put a tremendous load on the motor.

I wondered the same thing. I thought you were supposed to drive into them? Should be pulling them before lifting?

 

[Bobby]

wow they'd better shorten their strip. that's just too dangerous.