By Tommy Goudge (June 16, 2009) After another strong run in their most recent race at Delaware, Ryan Litt and the London, Ontario-based #07 BS&B Radiator/OTC Tools Sprint Car team headed for Toledo Speedway last Friday for the ninth annual Fastest Short Track Show in the World featuring the ISMA Supermodifieds and Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper Super Sprints series. The day began with Ryan posting one of the fastest laps of the day in practice for either division.
We ran a 13.15 in hot laps, and I was running smooth laps - not out of control, says Ryan. I know we would have had a really fast lap in qualifyingI have never felt a car so hooked up.
When time trials came around, Ryan was ready to give it his all, and looking for a track record for the second week in a row. Coming out of the first set of turns during his first lap, disaster struck; Parts in the rear end came apart and the left rear wheel came off the car, spinning Ryan hard into the outside retaining wall.
That rear end was only a year old and hadn't been run much, says Ryan. It was a weird break - the tube broke right where the spline meets the threads. There was no warning at allIt made a huge sound when it broke off and I didn't have any time to react. From the time I felt it drop to the time I hit the wall was less than a blink of an eye and I didn't even have time to lift. I was flat out through (turns) one and two, and I didn't drag the brakes or anything. I really wanted to put up a good lap and see if we could set a track record. The car was on a rail!
Unlike some other races, time trials at Toledo are a big part of the show because of the breathtaking speeds and the wide-open qualifying laps some drivers like to try, and the fans always show up early to see them. Consequently a lot of people witnessed the accident, and video from a fan in the stands was posted on Youtube the very next day.
I had a lot of people tell me it is the worst hit they have ever seen a sprint car take, says Ryan. It was one of the worst types of hits too, because the drivers side always has the smallest crush zone due to the offset of the chassis. When the car hit, it kind of exploded and a lot of body work and frame work just came off. I think that took some of the energy away from me, sort of like an Indy Car which is made to come apart to reduce the impact.
Ryan later described the damage done to the car when it hit the wall:
The side of the roll cage is bent in - the shoulder support on the seat is nearly past the outside of the roll cage, says Ryan. The front of the car was completely demolished. The only things left holding the front of the car on were the downtubes at the top. If they broke, the motor and front clip from the roll cage forward would have split apart. The motor came so far back that the valve covers hit the frame and crumpledwe figure that it came back five or six inches. I also got real lucky that the top of the roll cage didn't hit the fence post. The top wing hit it, and it mangled the wing badly.
Ryan credits his safety equipment for allowing him to walk away from the brutal accident unscathed, and the safety crew at Toledo Speedway for being quickly on the scene.
It was definitely the hardest hit I have taken, says Ryan. It knocked the wind out of me, and my left leg and my neck were a little stiff, but other than that I am fine. The car is really bad though, and without the LaJoie seat, Leaf belts, and HANS device, I would never have walked away from that. I can't say enough about the Toledo Speedway safety crew. It felt like they were there checking on me before the car even came to a complete stop. I also would like to thank everyone for their kind words and well wishes.
The crash derailed what was previously a good start to the season for the #07 team. They will try to get back to action before the end of the month.
We are going to try and get the other car set up to go for Berlin, but we have a lot of work to do yet, says Ryan. As of now, the plan is to be at Berlin on (June) the 27th for the AVSS race.
Ryan and the team would like to thank all their sponsors for their support during Ryan's 2009 season, including OTC Tools, BS&B Radiator, Linton Media, Linde Gases, Leaf Racewear, Xtreme Metal Worx, and Huron Produce Ltd.
Do you want do be a Ryan Litt Racing insider and have Ryan Litt Racing news delivered straight to your e-mail? Got a question for Ryan? Just send an e-mail to ryanlittmedia@hotmail.com and well do the rest. Questions may be featured in future Ryan Litt news updates so be sure to include your name and hometown! If youre a Facebook or YouTube user, make sure to join the official Ryan Litt Racing groups by searching Ryan Litt Racing.
For more information on Ryan and the team, including schedules, news releases, photos, videos, merchandise, and contact information, please visit Ryan's official website powered by Linton Media at www.RyanLitt.com. The final finishing touches on the revamped website were completed recently, so stop by and check out the new features!
0 comments:
Post a Comment