Selflessness, Bravery and 100% Pure Balls

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Selflessness, Bravery and 100% Pure Balls

By: Pete MacDonald

Images By: Dan DeMarco/RacersGuide.com

At what point do you throw all caution to the wind to help out a competitor?

Opening night at any race track is a special event. Fans are optimistic that a new season is upon them, and racers are optimistic after assembling the best piece that they can for the new season. For just one day, everybody is in first place.

This past Saturday night, the Port Royal Speedway in central Pennsylvania was beyond packed for their season opener. Fans, most of who had seen a complete show at Lincoln Speedway earlier in the day, were still filing in while the 410 Sprint Car feature hit the track for their 30 Lap A-Main.

With cool temperatures and a tacky race track, it was truly shaping up to be an excellent night at “The Speed Palace.”

Then came lap nine, when Mike Erdley and Brent Marks made contact entering turn four, sending both cars upside down–also collecting Doug Esh–with Erdley getting the worst of it, violently flipping and ending up on an access road between the catch fence and the turn four outside guardrail, the car lying on its left side.

A few seconds went by before an orange glow appeared near Erdley’s car as the rear of the car became engulfed in flames.

Erdley started to free himself from the mangled wreckage as the fire spread and emergency workers got to the car.

Then something happened that you just don’t see at a race track that much anymore. In an act of selflessness, bravery and 100% pure balls, Doug Esh (who was also in the incident) threw every ounce of caution to the wind and literally pulled Erdley from the burning vehicle. Not only Esh, but also Lance Dewease (who wasn’t competing that night) jumped in, wearing his street clothes, to douse Erdley with water as the flames were being patted out by Esh and safety workers.

As far as I’m concerned, those two can be labeled as heroes. They went above and beyond to help not just another competitor out, but another human being out. They didn’t have to do that; they’re not paid to do that; they did it because it was the right thing to do.

The fire was put out; Erdley took a ride in the ambulance to be checked out, and would ultimately be okay. As for Mike Erdley’s brand new race car–that hit the track for the first time just hours before–it’s junk.

“That one scared me; thank God Doug was there,” said eventual winner Greg Hodnett in Victory Lane, who was more concerned about his fellow competitor than picking up the opening night win. The look in Hodnett’s face was one of pure concern, proving that at the end of the day, we are one big family.

It was Erdley’s first major fire after racing 410 Sprint Cars for many years throughout central PA, and I’m sure it’s one that will live in people’s memories for a very long time. It was truly a scary deal for everyone involved.

That leads to my next question: would you jump in to help a fellow driver that was on fire?

I can be reached at racersguide@gmail.com or found on Twitter @PMacDonald51. Thanks for reading!

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