'All hell broke loose': Racer on the mend after fiery crash at Great Lakes Dragaway

UNION GROVE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- David Douthit accepted the danger of the family profession a long time ago. With his family-owned race team celebrating its 47th season in 2023, he's seen and been a part of his fair share of crashes in his 30 years of driving.

"It's like riding a bike, or falling off the horse," Douthit said, talking about crashing. "You fall off, you got to get back on and say you can still do it."

While the speed of drag racing might not scare this thrill-seeker, fire can be another challenge, one he was forced to face head on Monday afternoon at the Great Lakes Dragaway.

"We were just working the bugs out of the car and all hell broke loose," Douthit explained. "That's the first time I've had a big fire like that."

Completing a practice run on the Union Grove race track, Douthit's dragster began to get a bit out of shape and as he tried to steer the racer away from the wall, it tipped on its side, catching fire in the process.

"It's a little difficult to try and get those things [safety belts] undone," Douthit said. "I got out of there as fast as I could."

Fortunately, Douthit was able to escape, but not without second-degree burns to his hands, face and other portions of his body. He was treated by the safety team at the race track before being taken by Flight for Life to the Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Regional Burn Center where he was held overnight for observation.

"That's why we have those fire suits. That's why we wear all the safety gear," Douthit said gratefully. "We make sure that we are up to snuff and we do everything possible to keep ourselves safe."

Douthit says that while it was painful, the experience could have been much worse had he not been wearing the proper safety gear including a helmet, neck brace, fire-resistant racing suit and more. His message for any racers out there strapping into machines to compete: always wear your gear.

"I whole heartedly believe some of that stuff saved me from getting burnt worse than I am," Douthit said. "If you have to wear the safety gear, make sure you wear it every time, whether you're practicing or racing."

With a full summer of events scheduled across the United States, Douthit says he's already looking forward to getting back behind the wheel once his body, and machine, is ready to race once again.

"This is what I do, race cars to pay my bills," Douthit explained. "Right now, the biggest concern is getting me healthy so we can get back on the road and making money."

For more information on the Colorado-based Douthit Motor Sports, visit the team's website HERE. 

Meantime, a GoFundMe has been created to help cover medical expenses.