Driver Burned

[SassyCassie14]

I was reading this on Slider's forum and thought I would share this with y'all as well.

This is why we should all stress the importance of safety. ALWAYS!!!

No matter what class of car you drive in or where you race at, make sure you have all the safety requirements and make sure your track does too.

 

"DRIVER SEVERELY BURNED - (7-1-09 @ 7:30 am) - FACT - Last Friday night, a horrible accident occurred to a micro midget driver that is inexcusable. The Kearney, NE man (Tony Linner) was driving his micro midget when the accident occurred at Kam Raceway in Hastings, Nebraska. After the accident was complete, Linner took off his helmet but shortly there after, the punctured tail tank caught fire and erupted in flames. His gloves melted to the seat belt latch leaving the driver stuck in the burning car for 5 minutes. There was no safety crew, no fire extinguishers available, and no help for this driver. Linner struggled to free himself. One driver (Kevin Hulse, former Nebraska sprint car driver) ran to his aid to try to do something but was unable to free the driver. Linner finally broke free and got out of the car and rolled around on the ground to smother the flames. He was taken to the hospital and now is fighting for his life in the burn unit in Lincoln, NE with burns over 90% of his body. This is a terrible accident with a terrible ending and could have been avoided with a proper equipped safety crew. It is terrible that there was no safety crew, let alone no fire extinguishers available. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Tony Linner and family."

 

 

Our thoughts and prayers go out the the Linner Family

From the Hunter Family

 

 

Here is an attached photo.......... Words can not express how I feel about this.

 

 

[arob]

This indeed is a sad story,one that did not have to be so severe. You know if a track operater cannot afford a fire and safety crew he/she cannot afford to operate a track. I hope this does not sound unsypayhetic but if racers decide to race on a track without a safety crew they are partly resposible for what may happen to them. I know of an instance here where a cars throttle stuck going into turn one and there was some heavy head on impact. It was early in the day just after the pit gates opened and the ambulance was not there yet.Thankfully it wasn.t needed. So if there are tracks out there that allow practice laps before the safety crew is in place hopefully will discontinue that practice. And racers should be disciplined enough to wait until they are there. This kind of thing may rarely happen but when it does many peoples lives are affected forever. I wish the best for all involved .

[Danielsen Motorsports]

This is the biggest BS I have read. After all of the previous fires and deaths I cant believe tracks are still screwing around with this! I dont understand what the hell the track is thinking much less the drivers out there competiting w/o the items and professional people needed for emergency's. I mean there is a very small chance of surviving this type of fire even with a professional crew but at least you are giving yourself a chance. Very unnerving to say the least. Pray for the poor driver and everyone who were helpless having to watch!

[top_shelf_12]

Very sad event indeed. Hope the driver pulls out of it and recovers but he is very lucky to even get out of the car alive. Can't imagine the helpless feeling he had and those that couldn't do anything about it. As was previously stated, I don't know how anyone would go on a track that didn't have a safety crew. Of course no one could foresee something like this happening but it's like having the ambulance on scene, you never hope to have to use it but if you need it you're glad it's there. Luckily every track I've ever been to has had a safety crew there at least during the racing portion of an event. We have the best in the business at our Corpus tracks (and I hope everyone feels that way about their tracks too) in Freddy Malik and his crew. Reading the forums apparently Shady Oaks has a good one too if you ask that dwarf driver that went for a ride. Edna's was right on the scene when George White powdered the wall coming out of four, so most tracks are prepared for this kind of event. Kinda ironic, last night I told my father about an observation that I had. I don't know if it was an ASCS rule or if Edna did it and I never noticed it but I saw at least four fire extinguishers in the infield on standby. Again, hope no one has to go through this again and that all the tracks' safety crews are there but not needed. Thoughts are with the Linner family and to everyone else that witnessed this.

[Blue Moon Motorsports]

INcredible that the track would play fast and loose with the lives of their driver's like that. And the driver's would allow it! Our prayers are with Tony Linner and his family.

[CuttingEdgeRacing]

Wow...just wow. Its 2009 and this still happens? After recovery, I would own that track, its owners house and his entire life. Risk waivers my butt, this track should go down because of this. No EMS? At least a FRIGGIN FIRE EXTINGUISHER OR A HOSE!? SOMETHING!?

 

Unreal. This is why racing doesn't fly with so many people.

[1955chevy33]

So the 5 minutes he was fighting to get out of his car,NONE OF THE OTHER DRIVERS or PIT CREWS had extinguishers ? WHAT THE HELL ? If I am driving in the race or watching this happen. I am getting my cars extinguisher and or pit crews extinguisher and trying to help the guy or woman . The track is very much to blame and should get shut down BUT We drivers have to protect our own as_es ,and each others. I hope if something ever happens to me that people help me ! I can say,when I slammed the wall hard at 37 a few weeks ago. The guys were to me in seconds and I was ok. BUT I am really thankful and appreciative of all the 37 employees ,owners and safety crews for being fully staffed and trying to protect the drivers the best they can. Keep up the great work guys !

[NickHolt]

So the 5 minutes he was fighting to get out of his car,NONE OF THE OTHER DRIVERS or PIT CREWS had extinguishers ? WHAT THE HELL ? ....

 

The local TV station reported the following which does shad a bit of new information about the fire extinquishers:

 

Fire crews did check all of the extinguishers and the way the raceway handled the incident.

They told the raceway that everything is according to code.

 

Nick

[NickHolt]

This article is from the Kearney Hub website (http://kearneyhub.com) and written by Sara Goboney, Kearney Hub Staff Writer

 

NOTE: Here is the URL for the facebook page mentioned at the end of this article. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=101312346645

 

 

Five minutes in blazing race car have Kearney man fighting for life

 

By SARA GIBONEY, Hub Staff Writer

(06/29/2009 - Updated 07/03/2009 03:38:37 PM CDT)

 

KEARNEY — A Kearney man is fighting for his life after a devastating car accident at Kam Raceway in Hastings Friday.

 

After crossing the finish line and earning second place in a sprint car race, Tony Linner’s left front tire fell off his car.

 

The car hit the wall, flipped over and caught on fire.

 

“Tony’s life is racing,” said his wife, Joyce Linner. “Every Friday, he’s there.”

 

Tony, who has been racing sprint cars for nearly four years, immediately ripped off his helmet and tried to unbuckle his safety belt, but his gloves melted to his harness.

 

His wife, children, Kayden, 8, Kormick, 5, and Kali, 3, were in the stands watching as he fought for his life.

 

“Me and Kayden and Kali were screaming his name and yelling at people to help him,” Joyce said. “I kept thinking, ‘Why is this happening?’ I had so much racing through my head.”

 

After nearly five minutes in the burning car, Tony, 30, escaped and began rolling on the ground to put out the flames that engulfed his body.

 

“To me, that’s willpower,” Joyce said. “If you can be in a burning car for five minutes and still get out.”

 

Still conscious in the ambulance, Tony screamed at Joyce to put water on his hands and legs.

 

He was rushed to Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital in Hastings where he was stabilized.

 

At the hospital, Joyce learned that 90 percent of Tony’s body was burned. His face and the left side of his body are in the worst condition.

 

He was then taken to St. Elizabeth Regional Hospital in Lincoln.

 

“When I went back there talking to him, he knows it’s me, he raises his arms in the air like, ‘Oh, my God, where am I?’ I tell him he has to calm down and I tell him I love him and he kept trying to move his mouth, move his arms,” Joyce said, her voice shaking.

 

While sitting by his hospital bed this weekend, she looked down at his left hand, and he had formed his hand into “I love you” in sign language.

 

Tony is on a ventilator. He has had to have incisions cut along his left arm and hand to release pressure from his burned skin.

 

Joyce said she expects to be in Lincoln for the next 45 days while Tony, who works at Ag Dryer in Elm Creek, begins his recovery.

 

The couple’s four children are staying with friends and family while Joyce remains at the hospital by her husband’s side.

 

“I am a wreck,” Joyce said.

 

Joyce is trying to give up her parental rights temporarily to her family so she can stay in Lincoln during Tony’s recovery and her family can care for their children, she said.

 

“It’s the best interest for the kids right now. I’m 150 miles away. If something were to happen, I couldn’t do anything,” she said.

 

This isn’t the first time the Linner family has dealt with tragedy in the past year.

 

Just less than a year ago, Joyce and Tony’s son Koldin, then 17 months old, climbed onto a shelf and fell while at his baby sitter’s home.

 

Koldin began seizing after the fall, and doctors found blood between his brain and skull.

 

He has since undergone three brain surgeries, two blood transfusions and has completed many hours of therapy. Koldin has a large scar on the left side of his head.

 

“The hardest thing is going through this twice in one year,” Joyce said. “Tony was there with me last time. He stood up with me with everything, the doctors. And I keep waiting for him to come in the room to help me.”

 

To view updates on Tony’s condition and leave messages of support, join Tony’s Support Group on Facebook.

[MUmscheid 51]

tell me if im wrong but in the first picture the last man on the right.........looks like a fire extinguisher. what was this guy doing??????????

[doitinthedirt]

he sure is. they must be getting high on the fumes, or they are total dumb as### [ sorry nick] you would kill what i would really like to call the people standing around doing nothing. and i would be banned from the track if i would have been their seeing this. prayers to driver and his family

[rebelracewriter]

Reading this story on "the other site" made me sick to my stomach. It reminded me too much of Ryan's circumstances being trapped in the car.

 

Ya know.......people/tracks still wonder why myself, Greg, Paul, et.al. take the HARSH stance we do on safety.......OPEN YOUR EYES FOLKS!!!!

 

AND WHY would drivers put themselves in that situation? Is racing THAT important that you would go on ANY track without knowing there were proper safety measures being taken? What's more IMPORTANT.........your FAMILY or RACING????????? Are you afraid of track repercussions or what? If they don't give a $#!^ about your safety, why would you even give a $#!^ about repercussions?????? If you don't feel safe load the @*%& up and leave!!!!

 

I just don't freaking get it......

 

His gloves melted to the seat belt latch

 

So Shawn Paul, Eric and numerous others......WHAT DO YOU THINK IT'S GOING TO DO TO YOUR BARE HANDS!!!!! Tracks need to made gloves MANDATORY!!!!.....along with neck braces, shoes, clean/untorn drivers suits.....and underwear and head sock for some of the upper classes, especially those running alcohol/methanol......and I don't want to hear a damn peep about costs!!!!! 1) How much is your life worth. 2) If you can't afford safety equipment, you shouldn't be racing. 3) If you can afford the newest trick suspension/motor parts...put them on hold and save your ass!!!

 

tell me if im wrong but in the first picture the last man on the right.........looks like a fire extinguisher. what was this guy doing

 

Probably couldn't get close enough Michael or it was empty/used up already.

 

One thing that still scares the hell out of me is using/having fire extinguishers only. During the fire that claimed Ryan's life the flagman and corner worker both tried to use them but could NOT get close enough to do any good. Now granted there are some good kickass additives that have come out that you can fill them with, and from what I've read the stuff works pretty good......but still if you have some guy in t-shirt and jeans trying to fight a large fuel/methanol fire I doubt he's going to get close enough to do much good. ALL TRACKS need a fire/brush truck with the crew dressed out and ready to go at a moments notice. All the flips/crashes during the ASCS show scared me with so many people around not properly dressed and using only fire exitguishers. Fortunately there were no major fires......THIS TIME!!!!!

 

90% of his body......I'd be interested in what degree burns they are. They say that at first you can feel no pain if all the pain nerves have been burned. It isn't until later that the pain starts. Plus there's all the damage to internal organs......sadly......at some point not surviving is the better option.

[cstiles79]

How many of you guys would be willing to donate a purse to this guys family. I have contacted his wife and obtained an address to send a donation to if anyone would be interested in doing that. I'm going to donate my winnings (which won't be much) to his family for the rest of the year. It could have been any one of us......................

[T3Motorsports]

Not sure if it would have help but someone should have put a chain and dragged the car out of the burning fuel. I know it takes quick thinking but often times the fuel is burning off the track surface. If this guy survived 5 minutes in that burning car and was able to get out I want to know what firesuit he was wearing. That is a testament to his safety equipment. If anyone has information on his firesuit or a donation fund please let the racing community know.

 

Mike

Houston

[NickHolt]

If anyone has information on his firesuit or a donation fund please let the racing community know.

 

If anyone would like to make a donation to the Linner Family, there is a fund set up at Tier One Bank in Kearney, Nebraska, under the name the "Linner Benefit Fund."

 

Linner Benefit Fund

Tier One Bank

2120 1st Ave.

Kearney, NE 68847-5308

 

(308) 234-2473 is the bank's phone number.

 

Nick

[REBELRACER]

the tracks are always changing the rules to eliminate the grey areas, why not make fire supression systems mandatory. maybe not in the grand stocks or front runner type cars, but the hobby stocks and street stock classes for sure. if the tracks are going to "save money" by not having a fire safety crew on site, the extra couple hundred bucks on the fire bottle system would be a good investment.

[SassyCassie14]

WHAT DO YOU THINK IT'S GOING TO DO TO YOUR BARE HANDS!!!!! Tracks need to made gloves MANDATORY!!!!.....along with neck braces, shoes, clean/untorn drivers suits.....and underwear and head sock for some of the upper classes, especialy those running alcohol/methanol......and I don't want to hear a damn peep about costs!!!!! 1) How much is your life worth. 2) If you can't afford satey equipment, you shouldn't be racing. 3) If you can afford the newest trick suspension/motor parts...put them on hold and save your ass!!!

 

I agree 100%

[Danielsen Motorsports]

the tracks are always changing the rules to eliminate the grey areas, why not make fire supression systems mandatory. maybe not in the grand stocks or front runner type cars, but the hobby stocks and street stock classes for sure. if the tracks are going to "save money" by not having a fire safety crew on site, the extra couple hundred bucks on the fire bottle system would be a good investment.

 

Thats all good but fire is only one thing that can go wrong. How about moving and paralizing a driver that is already hurt, somebody getting hit by hot radiator water, someone having a heart attack or maybe even someone falling down the steps in the stands. No I think if a track is going to open its doors and host an event of this nature then I believe its their obligation to have an EMS and firecrew with at least the bare neccessities. I think asking a driver to have up to date firesuite, belts, glooves, neck brace, shoes, and helmet is not too much to ask so the tracks should be doing their part. I am glad that all of the area tracks around here have stepped up because it wasnt always like that.

[REBELRACER]

i agree 100% with you there. that should be another line item on the tracks expense sheet. if you cant afford a decent safety crew, you might as well not even open the gates.

[Danielsen Motorsports]

I just know from 27 years of experience. I have never been injuried at any track except one. Me and Houston Raceway Park dont get along. I was removed from a totaled car on a back board through a window. I have woke up in the emergency room having xrays on a fractured back taken the next year and the following year the car that pitted next to us showered us with hot radiator water when it exploded after he took off his hood. However I can say without a doubt the tracks EMS Crew responded each time and took care of me. As well the tracks insurance covered every dime including the ambulance ride. There is simply too much danger waiting to happen not to have them.

[rwracingmom]

Prayers are going out to the Linner family. May God take you in his arms and speed the recovery. God Bless you and your family forever and ever.

Joyce and Larry Walton

TSRS #49

Thunder Stock # 49 and #56.

[LMR21]

Reading the forums apparently Shady Oaks has a good one too if you ask that dwarf driver that went for a ride. Edna's was right on the scene when George White powdered the wall coming out of four, so most tracks are prepared for this kind of event. Kinda ironic, last night I told my father about an observation that I had. I don't know if it was an ASCS rule or if Edna did it and I never noticed it but I saw at least four fire extinguishers in the infield on standby. Again, hope no one has to go through this again and that all the tracks' safety crews are there but not needed. Thoughts are with the Linner family and to everyone else that witnessed this.

 

There were also two under the flag stand and one at the turn four wall chain for entering the track, at Edna. Jim at Shadyoaks has the fire crew in bunker gear on standby,simply because time is so critical. As far as gloves neck brace and SA rated helmets(not motorcycle helmets), and real fire suits, I agree 100%

[top_shelf_12]

LMR those were just the ones I noticed the other night. Glad to know they are there. Again it's something we all hope never have to be used but I don't think I'd race on a track that didn't have a fire crew/EMS on scene. As for equipment, if I'm ever so lucky to get a car I will be wearing at least a two layer suit, a SA rated helmet, SFI rated gloves/neck brace, new seatbelts every year, and racing shoes. I've seen and heard about too many disastrous fires to cheat myself out of preventative measures like being fully prepared. I've seen alot of sanctioning bodies mandate battery/fuel cut off switches and fire suppression systems. Yeah it's an added cost but what do you think costs more, safety equipment or spending weeks in a hospital...if you're lucky. Most drivers do watch out for each other. I've seen twice here at STS during a rollover another driver ran to the wrecked car and made sure everything was ok. I'm sure if any of the other drivers could help that sprinter, they would have. No one would like to be helpless and have to watch that happen. Pictures are tough to see, but imagine being there watching, I think human nature would make you do what you could, but self preservation would kick in too. Just hope Mr. Linner and his family can recover, but it's going to be a very long road.

[kelyd13]

Not that this would take away the severe damage and life altering changes that took place that night but I think the track management/ownership or whatever they would like to consider themselves should step up and help this family in every way possible. This is a perfect example of "pure greed" when you make the decision to allow the "Race to go on" without any type of emergency response crew. Racing is in our blood for most of us and as drivers we should know not to get on the track without a crew present.....HOWEVER....the adrenaline sucks us in and of course we don't ever want to let the fans down so the show must go on but it's our lifes as well as the other drivers on the track that are at risk. I would also like to know why the other drivers didn't try at least calming the fire down with their own extinguishers? I don't want to assume what did not happen by looking at the pictures but it sure doesn't look good and it seems as though more could have been done. We can all bitch and complain about this situation and I pray to GOD it does not ever happen again. MY PRAYERS ARE WILL THE FAMILY AND MAY GOD BLESS THEM EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.

[dano36]

Any update on his condition?