De Ferran fueler badly injured

[cameraman]

I missed most of the ALMS race:irked: Did they say why Pagenaud left early?

Best wishes for Jones:(


A fueler for De Ferran Motorsports remained in critical condition in intensive care this morning, a day after he was injured in a pit fire during the American Le Mans Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Keith Jones was transported by helicopter to The Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus and was being treated for unspecified burns. Jones, wearing an oxygen mask, waved to the crowd as he was lifted into the ambulance for the ride to the helicopter pad.

The hospital confirmed his condition and that he is in the intensive care unit, but would not disclose the nature or severity of his injuries.

The De Ferran Motorsports team, headed by two-time CART champion Gil de Ferran, was racing for only the second time. De Ferran, who came out of a two-year retirement to start the team, won the pole and started the race, but teammate Simon Pagenaud was at the wheel when the team's Acura ARX-01B pulled away after a stop with the fuel hose still attached to the car.

link (http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080720/UPDATES01/80720012)

[FCYTravis]

Thoughts are with Keith and his family tonight, along with the whole de Ferran Motorsports team - best wishes for a speedy recovery.

From the broadcast (I capped it for torrenting), they had a guy by the right front holding a stop paddle in front of Simon's face. Jones made a big yanking motion and turned away from the car - but he didn't get the hose disconnected. The stop paddle guy, thinking he was unplugged, had already lifted the paddle. Simon had the car going within two seconds. The fueler made valiant second and third efforts to unplug it, even yanking on it as the car was angling out of the box. But it was for naught :(

Very scary moment as the back of the car caught Jones and flipped him airborne. He was thrown down right into the puddle of fuel... which ignited around him. The car made it about one pit space down, trailing flames, before Simon stopped.

[Methanolandbrats]

Have not watched the tape of that race yet and I'm not going to. :(

[rosawendel]

i was wondering what had happened. I was at the other end of the track watching the 30 car get high-sided, and was disconnected from the radio at that point. i figured the yellow was waaaay too long for a high-sided car....
thoughts & prayers to him and his family.

[Rus'L]

Very scary moment as the back of the car caught Jones and flipped him airborne. He was thrown down right into the puddle of fuel... which ignited around him. The car made it about one pit space down, trailing flames, before Simon stopped.

Talking to a friend of mine who was a photographer for the event (but was two stalls down waiting for a Ferrari pit stop and missed most of it), the main reason the fueler got burned so bad despite having nomex and a helmet was because he was first soaked in the fuel which then ignited. Not much nomex can do when it is first soaked in fuel.

Apparently, renowned photographer, Paul Webb, caught the whole sequence. The fire started at the back of the car, but then it simply traveled down the path of the spilled fuel where the fueler lay.

[TravelGal]

I've been trying to look for updates on his condition but don't find much except information about the race.

Any updates on how he is doing? Critical condition in a burn unit is about as bad as it gets. :(

[dando]

I've been trying to look for updates on his condition but don't find much except information about the race.

Any updates on how he is doing? Critical condition in a burn unit is about as bad as it gets. :(

Nothing new on the local news or fish wrap. :(

-Kevin

[extramundane]

This was in the comments of the SpeedTV article (http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/alms-medical-update-on-de-ferran-crewman/), for what it's worth:


Keith Jones, “Jonsie”, is responsive and able to right with one hand for simple communication and still has a wit about the situation. He says he wants a cold beer. I think he’s trying to be strong for his fiancée Elaine that is by his side and was at the race watching from the pits. The recover from this horrific accident will take months, if not years of plastic surgery to repair the damage. Keith was doing what he loved to do, which was racing and being apart of a team. It’s the very ugly side of the sport that no one enjoys talking about; especial me as I write this letter to all of you. He spent 4 years working with Scott Goodyear at Panther Racing, and during the IRL race Scott mentioned the accident and Keith’s son Chase Jones that is leading in points at Whiteland Race Park in Whiteland, IN. as he competes in the karting series against Scoot Goodyear’s son. I hope that you can take a moment to put your thoughts and prayers towards Keith, Elaine, and Chase during this very difficult time. We will be hoping and praying for a speedy and full recovery so he may do the things that he loves doing the most. God speed to all! Harry T.

[TravelGal]

Thanks guys. For a word of hope, there was a man out here named Jim Tindell who saved an entire corral of horses from the "Buckweed fire" last fall. His hands were so badly burned, well, you can guess he was brushing the burning embers off the horses backs so..... He is home now and has been for several months. Have hope. And send those thoughts and prayers.

[FCYTravis]

the main reason the fueler got burned so bad despite having nomex and a helmet was because he was first soaked in the fuel which then ignited. Not much nomex can do when it is first soaked in fuel.
No, there isn't. :(

[oddlycalm]

From the broadcast (I capped it for torrenting)
Good description Travis. Were you able to see how long it took someone to get to him? I could see someone finally get to the car with an extinguisher, but even that seemed like it took a while. Probably only took a couple seconds but I remember thinking "there are multiple people with cameras pointed at him yet nobody can pick up an extinguisher? Where the hell is everyone...?"

Very sad.

oc

[Elmo T]

I have it on the DVR, but I haven't had the opportunity to watch it this evening.

The pits are always well covered by emergency response personnel and the race teams are usually well prepared for fire. I'll assume they reacted quickly.

A flammable liquid fire is very difficult to extinguish - especially if there is flowing liquid or enough fuel on the ground to have the puddle of liquid expanding. Three dimensional fires (not just a pool of burning liquid on the ground) are even moreso. As I recall, they are not using methanol, so water isn't an option for a quick knockdown. Add in someone soaked in fuel. There aren't many things to make it much worse. :(

I never want to see anyone injured, but burns make me shudder. Burns are painful and the effects can be insidious.

[FCYTravis]

At the Glen short course race in 2006, Jon drove out of our pit with the probe plugged and the hose full. Standing at the back of the box, a freeze-frame image is burned into my head - of drybreak nozzle parts in mid-air, followed by a wave of race gas about to splash over everyone in our pits. Thank God it didn't ignite...

There's not a whole lot of things in racing scarier than the spectre of a pit fire. :(

The thing about the fuel nozzles (at least, the ones I'm familiar with... I don't think the ALMS ones are that different) is that the tolerances are so tight (and rightfully so), putting even the least bit of sideways pressure on them essentially locks them in. Particularly if the hose is already close to stretched, if the car gets more than a couple inches out of the box, there's no way the fueler can get the plug out, no matter how hard he yanks.

oddlycalm, I'll take another look at the video.

Edit: I really can't tell, because it's shrouded in smoke from the fuel burning on the car. The replay stops 8 seconds after the fire ignites. Simon has the presence of mind to pop the on-board firebottles just after the car stops. Those first seconds are, of course, the very justifiable panic "run the hell away" moments, and just as the replay ends, you can see the crew from the car in the box ahead turning back and coming toward the fire, presumably to help fight it.

[Rus'L]

Edit: I really can't tell, because it's shrouded in smoke from the fuel burning on the car. The replay stops 8 seconds after the fire ignites. Simon has the presence of mind to pop the on-board firebottles just after the car stops. Those first seconds are, of course, the very justifiable panic "run the hell away" moments, and just as the replay ends, you can see the crew from the car in the box ahead turning back and coming toward the fire, presumably to help fight it.

It did seem like the firemen were on top of it very quickly. And the commentator did say that crews from other teams jumped in to help fight it.

[JoeBob]

If someone wants to look at the video, here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2sIbTz-7cw

[extramundane]

Update (http://www.americanlemans.com/news/Article.aspx?ID=4542):

De Ferran Motorsports crew member Keith Jones, injured in Saturday's American Le Mans Series race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, was transferred Tuesday from the Ohio State University Medical Center to the Richard M. Fairbanks Burn Center at Wishard in the Wishard Health Services in Indianapolis.

Jones' condition has been updated from critical to serious today.

[Ziggy]

:(

[trish]

It sounds like he may be out of danger. Best wishes to him for a speedy recovery.

[oddlycalm]

I never want to see anyone injured, but burns make me shudder. Burns are painful and the effects can be insidious.
Agreed, thanks for the comments. Safety has come a long way but one serious burn accident snaps reality into focus. Reminds me too much of the bad old days at Indy.

Looks like he's going to make it but the recovery is going to be very rough going.

oc

[Gnam]

I'm not gonna watch the video, but did they double stint the tires? ALMS' fuel, then tires rule doesn't seem so over cautious now.

[cameraman]

It came down to one thing. The lollipop guy keyed off the fueler's movement not the nozzle's removal. As soon as that lollipop went up Pagenaud was gone. On a side note that Acura has one a very quick starter.

[TravelGal]

Update (http://www.americanlemans.com/news/Article.aspx?ID=4542):

That he was moved to a burn center is very good news. That he is not longer critical is even better. Thanks for keeping up with this.

[cameraman]

If anyone is so inclined...

For those who wish to send get-well wishes and letters to Keith, you can use the following address:

Keith Jones
c/o de Ferran Motorsports
485 Southpoint Circle
Suite 900
Brownsburg, IN 46112

[cameraman]

Here is a quote that explains the severity of the burns.


On a side note, from what I heard at the track, as the car was pulling away Keith was trying to pull the nozzle out and the handle pulled his glove off and his helmet came off (strap not buckled) and he was not wearing a balaclava.

Not good if true.

[Ankf00]

god that sucks :(

[chop456]

http://www.crash.net/motorsport/alms/news/167574-0/de_ferran_mechanic_released_from_hospital.html

[cameraman]

The British are truly strange people. Only they would consider the move from serious to good condition to be "degraded" or "downgraded". The rest of the planet would consider that to be upgrading.:saywhat:

[opinionated ow]

The British are truly strange people. Only they would consider the move from serious to good condition to be "degraded" or "downgraded". The rest of the planet would consider that to be upgrading.:saywhat:

not quite...