MOORESVILLE, N.C. — We need to know. We need to know what happened during Ashton Torgerson’s terrifying crash during the 37th running of the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals at Tulsa Expo Raceway.
Not because we need to place blame, but because the racing industry cannot learn from the incident, if we don’t understand what happened.
The 16-year-old Torgerson was thrown from his midget when it flipped during the feature on Wednesday night of the Chili Bowl.
Was it simply a mistake and his seat belts weren’t properly secured? Things are hectic in the staging area and that’s definitely a possibility. If that is the case, it was certainly a huge mistake, one Torgerson was lucky to survive.
Still, if that is what happened, it would be good to know. It would be a massive wakeup call to all racers to make sure they take the time to connect their belts properly and give them one last tug before rolling off.
One theory is that Torgerson’s arm restraints got caught in the latch of his belts and popped them open during his wild series of flips. Another realistic possibility. Still, it’s very important to know if this is what happened in order to study the situation so, as an industry, we can figure out how to keep it from happening again.
Those are two of the many theories that have been floating around since the incident took place. I was in the grandstands on that fateful Wednesday night in Tulsa and watched Torgerson’s midget tumble down the backstretch. I was stunned and shocked to say the least when I saw the driver slide out of the top of the car.
Like many in attendance, I asked, “Did I just see what I thought I saw? There is no way that could have happened. Something had to have broken. Dear God please let him be OK.” Those were all the thoughts that immediately raced through my brain.
There was a time when drivers were thrown from their race cars on a regular basis. In fact, there was a time when drivers believed it was safer to be thrown from the car. It reduced the threat of being caught in a fire. Back then, decades ago, many drivers refused to wear seat belts, which were just lap belts and not the secure, five-point harnesses of today.
Lap belts were first used by glider pilots to help keep them in place. It wasn’t until 1954 that the SCCA required seat belts in their race cars. Since those early days, the evolution of safety products has been revolutionary. Now, racers use at least five-point harnesses, arm restraints, head-and-neck restraint devices and containment seats to keep them safe and secure inside the cockpit.
Each of these items was developed in response to a series of incidents that called for the industry to come together and develop a product to help keep racers safe.
And that is why, as an industry, we need to know what went wrong and allowed Ashton Torgerson to slip free from the safety equipment that was designed to keep him safely inside his race car during a wild ride.
Hopefully, those answers will be given to the proper officials, so bulletins, updates, etc. can be distributed to fellow racers in order to prevent this situation from ever happening again.
Most importantly, Torgerson survived the incredible crash and returned to the Chili Bowl as a spectator.
■ As far as the racing is concerned, the Chili Bowl was as competitive as ever. Another massive field of more than 350 midgets filled the famed SageNet Center. The biggest shock this year was the warm weather with temperatures in the mid-60s — unheard of for Tulsa, Okla., in January.
The Expo Center seemed to be better vented this year as well, possibly due to the warm temps, which allowed the doors to be left open longer. Whatever the reason, it made for air that wasn’t as heavily infused with racing fumes as in past years.
■ Kevin Swindell, a four-time Chili Bowl-winning driver, was not only the winning car owner with first-time winner Logan Seavey, but he also unveiled his new Victory Fuel beverage, which was a hit. It’s color free, sugar free, caffeine free and kid friendly.
I sampled the “Throttle Punch” variety. It had a great taste and was very refreshing. If you want to learn more about Victory Fuel, check out their website drinkvictory.com.
Congrats Kevin on another Golden Driller, as well as a huge victory off the track with the launch of Victory Fuel.
This story appeared in the Feb. 8 edition of the SPEED SPORT Insider.
