Pit-Road Inferno Destroys De Ferran Team's Hopes For Win

This is one of the worst things that can happen in racing. The No. 66 Acura, with Simon Pagenaud at the wheel, exited its pit stall with the refuelling line still attached, causing the line to rupture and the fuel to ignite. The fireball that ensued was a lot bigger than what’s in the pictures, which weren’t snapped until the blaze had been mostly extinguished—at one point, the entire back end of the car along with most of the pit box was engulfed. When the smoke cleared, the crumpled form of a pit crew member was left behind. The EMT’s moved fast, but fueler Keith Jones had been messed up pretty badly: witnesses reported burns to his face, neck, and hands, and that his shoes had been burned off to the point where his toes were visible. He signalled the "ok" just before he disappeared into the waiting ambulance. I sure hope he really is okay. Obviously, the Acura was out of the race for good, after starting on the pole and battling with the big dogs at the front of the pack all day. Last night after such a spectacular qualifying run, de Ferran said the team was "over the moon" with optimism, and this was a really sad way for their day to end.

[Update: a day after the incident, Keith Jones is still in critical condition, being treated for burns in the intensive care unit at the Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus. Let's keep our fingers crossed for him].