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Boat racer injured at Cowtown Drag Boat Nationals
By JOHN HENRY
Special to the Star-Telegram
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Injuries in drag boat racing are often times much more dramatic than, say, a wrecked knee in football.
They can actually be frightening.
A big day at the races during the Cowtown Drag Boat Nationals at Marine Creek Lake turned scary when Don Ermshar lost control of his boat at the finish line of the Top Alcohol Flat finals.
When Ermshar’s craft skidded out of control across the water and broke into pieces just past the finish line, he became submerged in his boat capsule in about 30 feet of water.
Rescue crews rushed to aid Ermshar, who was submerged in the water for about five minutes. Nervous fans and crew members watched anxiously as emergency personnel brought him to safety. The 66-year-old Riverside, Calif., resident didn’t walk away from the accident. Race officials and a medic at the scene said he likely sustained broken arms and legs.
He went by ambulance to Harris Methodist Fort Worth, but his injuries seem minor compared to the dramatic accident.
But when you’re traveling more than 160 mph on a quarter-mile track things can go haywire.
"He was going 161 miles per hour," said a race official. "He crossed the finish line, and looked to just lose it."
Drag boat racing is essentially the NHRA on water. Safety has obviously been a big issue, and organizations such as the Southern Drag Boat Association, the governing body of this weekend’s races, have taken steps to help ensure the well-being of the racers.
Capsules, with a roll bar built in and a self-contained breathing system, now enclose drivers. The breathing system enables drivers who are submerged to breathe up to 20 minutes, said Tanya Ehrlich, the treasurer of the SBDA.
The capsule is constructed of steel tubing with a fiberglass and Kevlar outer shell, and it’s designed to break apart from the boat hull and engine in the event of an accident, just as Ermshar’s did Sunday.
"That’s been the greatest discovery for this sport," said an SBDA official. "It has saved lives."
Drivers are also required to wear helmets and goggles or some sort of device to protect their eyes. Many also wear suits made of fire retardant.
Ultimately, like anything else, you can’t live in fear. The show must go on, and it did Sunday.
Don Bausher of Las Vegas drove Habit Forming to victory over Ermshar, the points leader in the Top Alcohol Flat division.
In the top division, Top Fuel Hydro, Daryl Ehrlich of Round Rock and his Problem Child bested points leader John White of Leander.
The series heads to Chouteau, Okla., Aug. 1-2 and back to Texas in Lubbock on Sept. 5-6.
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By JOHN HENRY
Special to the Star-Telegram
Related Content
Injuries in drag boat racing are often times much more dramatic than, say, a wrecked knee in football.
They can actually be frightening.
A big day at the races during the Cowtown Drag Boat Nationals at Marine Creek Lake turned scary when Don Ermshar lost control of his boat at the finish line of the Top Alcohol Flat finals.
When Ermshar’s craft skidded out of control across the water and broke into pieces just past the finish line, he became submerged in his boat capsule in about 30 feet of water.
Rescue crews rushed to aid Ermshar, who was submerged in the water for about five minutes. Nervous fans and crew members watched anxiously as emergency personnel brought him to safety. The 66-year-old Riverside, Calif., resident didn’t walk away from the accident. Race officials and a medic at the scene said he likely sustained broken arms and legs.
He went by ambulance to Harris Methodist Fort Worth, but his injuries seem minor compared to the dramatic accident.
But when you’re traveling more than 160 mph on a quarter-mile track things can go haywire.
"He was going 161 miles per hour," said a race official. "He crossed the finish line, and looked to just lose it."
Drag boat racing is essentially the NHRA on water. Safety has obviously been a big issue, and organizations such as the Southern Drag Boat Association, the governing body of this weekend’s races, have taken steps to help ensure the well-being of the racers.
Capsules, with a roll bar built in and a self-contained breathing system, now enclose drivers. The breathing system enables drivers who are submerged to breathe up to 20 minutes, said Tanya Ehrlich, the treasurer of the SBDA.
The capsule is constructed of steel tubing with a fiberglass and Kevlar outer shell, and it’s designed to break apart from the boat hull and engine in the event of an accident, just as Ermshar’s did Sunday.
"That’s been the greatest discovery for this sport," said an SBDA official. "It has saved lives."
Drivers are also required to wear helmets and goggles or some sort of device to protect their eyes. Many also wear suits made of fire retardant.
Ultimately, like anything else, you can’t live in fear. The show must go on, and it did Sunday.
Don Bausher of Las Vegas drove Habit Forming to victory over Ermshar, the points leader in the Top Alcohol Flat division.
In the top division, Top Fuel Hydro, Daryl Ehrlich of Round Rock and his Problem Child bested points leader John White of Leander.
The series heads to Chouteau, Okla., Aug. 1-2 and back to Texas in Lubbock on Sept. 5-6.
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