nicked from another site and Im gobsmacked...

 

 

I stumbled across this today...

 

First of all, watch this video;

 

[YOUTUBE]OOGtUMCB0IY[/YOUTUBE]

 

The driver of the Ferrari is Tetsuya Ota. A JGTC driver.

 

You might have noticed in the video that the person who actually extinguished the flames and pulled Ota out of the burning car was not a marshall but another racing driver, who actually stopped his RX7 in front of the burning Ferrari and used his own fire extinguisher in his car to save Ota's life. The marshalls didn't attend to him for a full 90 seconds. When the marshalls did arrive they pretty much left him on the floor whilst his helmet was on fire and melting into his face and then started pratting around with the car. They then pick him up and let the poor ******* stumble around while his visor melts into his eyes!

 

This has seriously disturbed me, I can't believe how poor the marshalling was and how clueless they were when the racing driver saved this guys life. They even put him in the tracks minivan instead of an ambulance! Wtf!?

 

Luckily this guy survived but had major burns all over his body and a lot of reconstruction done to his face, particularly his nose which has literally melted away.

 

Anyway, it's a sad story but worth watching.

 

That is fooking shocking. :(

Flippin heck, that was horrific, i can't believe he even survived. The other driver is a real hero no doubt :bow: :bow:

Nice to see a fellow driver stop to help!

them marshalls should all be sacked, how can you miss a melted helmet!!!!!

No words to describe that!!!!! Shocking!!!! poor sod, when the driver helps him up, its clear his visor is on his face. Sod the car is shagged anyway, help the poor guy driving it.

 

Speechless!!!!!!!!!!!!

as Stu said hes out of the car sp leave it and deal with the casualty. Even with there SEATBELTS that they have in those types of cars and roll frames and P.P.E after a smack like that then C-spine is a second priority after air-ways, he should of been held down not dragged up to his feet like he was and left to stumble about.

Not just the marshalls it was at the bottom of the pit lane, where the **** were all the pit crews?

Can I say that this incident, because it is so horrific, is being used as a example for all safety personel in Japan now.

Fortunatly most of Europe has very good track safety, but I am afraid its only in North America where it is truly taken seriously.

On a good note. Otta is making a good recovery and was at an event this year to thank the driver who pulled him out.

During the second round of the 1998 JGTC at Fuji Speedway, with 47,000 spectators in attendance of the 67 lap race, the race was held in torrential rain with limited visibility. Following the parade lap, the safety car drove through the starting line at 150 Km/h (93 mi/h), suddenly slowed down, causing an aquaplaning 910 Racing's Porsche 911 RSR of Tomohiko Sunako to strike into the rear of Kaoru Hoshino's 911 GT2. Of the GT300 cars, the third car in front of the Porsches (and 22nd on the grid), the BMW M3 of Yasushi Hitotsuyama behind managed to avoid the Porsche, coming onto the grass and managed to drive back to the circuit, while the Porsche struck into a barrier and rested on the grass. A caution flag was waved out.

 

Seconds later, the Team Ferrari Club of Japan's Ferrari F355 Challenge of Ota, slowed down, causing his car to aquaplane and swerve left directly onto the Porsche; both exploded into a fireball on impact as a result.The Ferrari, after hitting the wall, slid across to the other side of the track and rested at the pit stop exit; another Porsche swerved to avoid Ota.

 

Luckily, the driver of the blazing Porsche managed to stumble out of his car with a fractured right leg and was shortly attended by rescue officials.

 

Shortly, the RE Amemiya RX-7 of Shinichi Yamaji stopped in front of the Ferrari while the other cars drove on, he took an fire extinguisher from his own car to extinguished the fire and then helped to release Ota's safety harness before marshals arrived.

 

Ota was trapped in his car for almost 90 seconds while exposed to 800-degree temperatures and had to be dragged out of the car by a safety marshal, to lay him on the ground, while his charred visor melted on his face. Ota while attempting to get up, at first fell; in another attempt, another marshal spotted Ota and picked him up to be bundled to the circuit's minivan, rather than the ambulance.

 

The race was to be rescheduled to a shortened 51 lap race, but thick fog rolled in over the circuit causing the race to be delayed. Over the time, organisers waited on to hope that the weather would improve but by 17:00, the organisers announced the race to be officially called off and all results were voided. Ota was taken to a hospital in Gotemba where he was treated for third-degree burns to his face and neck area and minor burns to the rest of the body, but was fortunate to survive. He required plastic surgery to the nasal area as a result of the visor melting on his face. He also suffered from intoxication from the fumes he inhaled from the fire.

 

He was unable to function his right arm, right shoulder and fingers properly, causing an end to his professional career.

ive seen this before, but it makes it none the less tragic. as KremitZ says, there should be sackings left right and centre - how could they be so incompetent? glad to hear Otta is doing well. :bow:

Oh my god, how did he ever survive, let alone stand up, fare play to the driver who stopped to help, if it wasn't for him, he would certainly of died, what a hero!!!

That has really disturbed me... Really feel for the racer. Not only is he scared for life but the one thing he loves doing has been taken away from him.

I saw this a while back, but it still shocks me.

never seen anything like that before incompitent as hell!! shocking!!!!!!!!!!