In light of the notorious street race last February in Accokeek, MD, that killed 7 and injured 4, the positive outcome of one of the most serious crashes ever to occur at a local drag strip, further bolsters the imperatives of doing it the right way!
On Friday, May 23, 2008, the beginning of the 2008 Memorial Day Weekend, Mark McKeown, co-owner of McKeown Motorsport Engineering, Inc. (MME), took the company's Real Street, Drag Radial Mustang and the MME team to participate in a "Real Street" class of racing hosted by Maryland International Raceway (MIR) in Budds Creek, MD. This class features "street legal" race cars racing heads up for prize money and the title of the fastest street car around. The class is governed by a stringent set of rules to enforce safety and a competitive, level field and all cars must pass technical inspection before running. These cars accomplish speeds of 190+ mph and track times of faster then 7.40 seconds on the quarter mile drag way.
On the evening of Friday, the 23rd of May at MIR, the conditions seemed perfect for a great night of racing. The weather was beautiful, the atmosphere was festive given the Holiday Weekend and there were lots of spectators and racers ready for a good time. And it all seemed good - track speed records were broken, racers were having some of their best results of the season and folks were having fun!
Until around 10:30pm when the unexpected and unimaginable occurred! McKeown, who's Company specializes in race engine and race car chassis building, took their Real Street, Drag Radial Mustang out for its third pass of the night. Known for his high tech and engineering approach, McKeown designed and built the engine, chassis and suspension with the help of his expert team at McKeown Motorsport Engineering, Inc. and the car is equipped with the best in fire and safety equipment and electronic data acquisition.
Yet, even with the best of everything in hardware and personnel, at times, it is impossible to avoid the worst as evidenced by what happened that night. At about the 1000 ft mark on the track, the car lost traction and took a hard left turn crashing into and through the concrete barrier, going air born, turning 180 degrees, and landing amidst the trackside trees, just missing the scoring towers at the end of the race track.
Within seconds, the MIR EMT's and rescue team were on the scene but even as they arrived, McKeown was unbuckling his helmet and seat restraints and getting out of the car. He walked to the ambulance, the EMT checked his vitals and he was deemed coherent and functioning normally.
The data downloaded from the electronics thus far indicate that the car was traveling at better then 140 mph and the impact generated 7 G's of force. The data is being further analyzed, however, the data so far suggests that the car overpowered the track (spun tires) and lost traction. This appears to be the most significant contributing factor to the crash.
The alternative outcome to this crash is unthinkable but predictable had it not been for all the precautions taken to keep the driver safe! People obviously have a "need for speed" and that's okay... but do it the smarter way. Seek expert, professional services and advice from experienced companies and individuals in the racing industry and use the professionally maintained race tracks. Our mission is to keep us all safe and enjoying the sport.
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