Eyewitness-1971 Jet Car Crash Dallas International Motor Speedway

[smokn356]

Excellent piece, Thanx for the story..

[puppetmasterblaster]

So you said they didnt take your camera and film? When ya gonna upload the rest of the crash?

[blackmetalurgist]

OOPS, no crash

[Thebuffalo004]

Wow, this is a lengthy explanation of the events above, like a novel book!!!. But it interesting and exciting. Anything about jet engines and cars is always good.

[SMDOUGLAS]

Nice story

[david1513]

wonderful story, and good job on reporting news as it is,in racing shit happens the people racing knows the risks, we need people to capture the history in the making, thank you, isent Art Arfons' the driver of the green monster?

[IVP3034101725]

@david1513 Yes. Same car, just redesigned and named The Cyclops I think. It was on its first runs after being reworked.

[bricksquad9552]

looks like a jet boat from the front lol..

[Perverses666Element]

fuck off fakerboy !!!

[MrRuzo214]

where can I buy a jet engine?

[djcrucio]

0 - 100 ???

[Wildkkat1]

I was there that day, and saw the whole thing....the engine was a GE J-79-15 about 16,000 lbs of thrust....RIP Gene Thomas....

[david1513]

wow what a wonderful story thank you for shareing with us fans...!

[WickedTornado]

This is the second nite I've watched this again. It's sooo ..God, I don't know what to call it...sooo creepy for lack of a better word...to see that thing take off, with the passenger in the rt. side of the car, and know that in 6 seconds that guy's body parts will be scattered around the big end of the track. Did this also kill Arfons? And I supposed that young guy at the starting line in the red shirt staging the car...he must have been an Arfons son or crew member too? This is just chilling.

[WickedTornado]

@WickedTornado And to whoever said that this car would never pass tech, I'd have to say he's probably correct. Look at that rig just flex and shake as it stages. I'm no mechanic or race car authority, but that thing just looks hinky. Now, the only thing in their defense is that those Arfons brothers had been fooling around with jets and jet propelled vehicles for many years. I figure they are on top of what it takes to stay alive with rigs like this. I wouldn't have climbed in it...no way.

[WickedTornado]

Respond to this video... Just wanted to say thank you again, IVP3034..... for posting this and taking the time to answer our posts. If nothing else, this is a historical event, and I for one am very glad it is captured on film. As gruesome as it is, I'm the type of guy who would like to see any other versions that were shot of this. But make no mistake, I take no joy in seeing this.

[IVP3034101725]

@WickedTornado BTW: The guy in the white shirt with the helmut in his hand is Gene Thomas. The film cameraman is Jack Smith from WFAA-TV. I don't know who the still photog is.

[WickedTornado]

@IVP3034101725 Was one of these two guys the passenger who got killed?

[IVP3034101725]

@WickedTornado Yes. Gene Thomas in the white shirt was in the right seat.

[IVP3034101725]

@IVP3034101725 That might be Arfons bending over the passenger seat behind Thomas. Not sure. I never got to talk to him.

[WickedTornado]

Big time thanks for posting this, as well as your very heavy story about the event. I'm glad you had the stones to protect yourself and your work from the track goons. I've been watching drag racing live since '65. I guess I should have known that when an incident like that happens....the track personnel are going to go into "damage control" mode immediately. But I didn't ever think that they would be so intimidating even before the tires had finished turning on the wreck. Wow. Show more clips!

[IVP3034101725]

@WickedTornado The camera is the only real witness I have to the truth of a situation. Just the threat of a picture is usually enough to keep most people honest. This became more important as we switched to tape because the cost per minute went way down and the amount of time we could shoot went way up. By the early 80's, any time I found myself in a confrontational situation the camera and mic stayed on even if I took it off of my shoulder. This confirmed my version of a story more than once.

[denniesloot18]

thats a hell of a story man... im glad i didnt hafe to see that in real life

[bretoff]

Next weekend will be 40 yr anniversary of this event. With all the interlopers in the DFW area, I set the over / under at 750 people in the metroplex have knowledge of this event, a bit more may know there was a drag strip at this location, but hey strip malls are better than a drag strip right .....

[bretoff]

According to my stop watch it runs about a 6.20, jet propelled cars are slower off the line but make up for it as the the speed builds, - it's mō-ˈmen-təm - this thing was probably doing between 260 to 280 mph at the finish line

[IVP3034101725]

@bretoff

He was going to make three runs. Two practice and a third for the quarter mile record but I don't remember what that was.

[IVP3034101725]

Another photographer, I think it might have been John Jenkins, shot it with a bigger lens and you could see the left rear tire blow out and the the car begin to spin to the left. The passenger side hit the guard rail first and I remember seeing the car hit one person and hurl that body into another. I'm sure none of that was on the air buit I saw it afterwards somewhere.

[bretoff]

It appears as the jet car gets further down the strip it is angling closer & closer toward the the center lane divider and it appears to contact something down there like the timing equipment or lane divider, but the accident is attributed to a tire blow out ..... who knows

[bretoff]

I was convinced no footage of this event still existed, was told all film etc was confiscated, I was 8 yrs old and my dad took me out there to watch the drag races later that day, everybody was talking about it, I remember it was a Saturday because we watched the Cowboys the next day ..... seriously doubt that jet car did / or could pass any kind of tech inspection, it was a death trap, Gene Thomas' co-worker Don Harris also went on to an untimely death in the Jones Town massacre.

[IVP3034101725]

@bretoff

As I remember, Don Harris replaced Gene Thomas on the WFAA-TV morning show and I went to work there soon after. I worked with Don for a year or two, until he left for the network.

[TheGoatAttack]

these cars are insane 0.o anyone who drives one has huge balls

[MrTimkimball]

I was THERE in the press box that day... I know the camera man (from channel 8 news) sitting on the other side was killed along with more people at the end of the track working. I think a total of 14 was killed in that crash.... not sure, it's been a long time ago.

[555657chevy]

@MrTimkimball

14 were not killed in this incident, 3 were, Gene Henderson with WFAA, and track workers Sean Pence and Robert Kelsey

[MrTimkimball]

I was THERE in the press box that day...

[TelTrel]

I go onto YouTube to read stories about crashes..

[sarsky9]

amazing story!

[localcrew]

What a great story. Shocking and sad, yes. Still -- you did the right thing and made a name for yourself. Too bad those guys died. That can happen when you strap a jet engine to your ass though. Great vid!

[IVP3034101725]

@localcrew Glad you enjoyed the story. It's fun to dig back through some of them. Time flies.