JC Wright, the tire guy for Stuckey Enterprises, went into surgery and is scheduled to be released tomorrow
This is one of those stories that happens from time to time. Each time, it doesn’t get any less scary.
Last night, there was a malfunction at the pit area of the Stuckey Enterprises #1 machine. It happened before practice at Golden Isles Speedway. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series drivers were at the Waynesville, GA track for the open test ahead of tonights opening round.
In preparation, a tire for the #1 machine exploded and caught one of the crew members. JC Wright is a tire guy for the Black Diamond dirt late model team with Earl Pearson Jr as their pilot.
The tire bead was already set. The team set that back in Louisiana and the tire rode all the way to the track. In the pit lane, JC planned to air the tire up to 40 lbs and just let it sit in the trailer to grow a little.
Usually, when this happens it’s that the team was seating the beed of a tire and they forget about about the hose connected. Such as the case with Bloomquist’s tire issues at I-80 Speedway last year. However, that’s not at all what happened here.
Instead, the rim was defective. Speaking with a members of the team they were somewhat uncertain of how the rim could be defective or in what way. But, that’s what they believe happened. In this case, Wright estimates the tire was only holding a tire pressure in the mid-30’s.
“It would be impossible to really know what psi I was at when she blew,” JC Wright told RacingNews.co. “But I’ve been doing this a long time and tire guys in all the series air tires way beyond the psi I was trying to get too. It’s something that takes place all the time at every racetrack in the country.”
“Because I had just put my air gauge on the tire and it read 30 psi and only the couple seconds that I was back putting air in the tire I would guess that the tire was in the mid-30 psi range.”
“I’ve always been pretty cautious on my procedures doing this. Like I always stop very often and see where I’m at on psi as I go,” Wright concludes.
JC Wright was hit on the inside of his arm as the racing tire exploded. He made the trip hospital where he underwent surgery to repair tendons. He did not suffer any broken bones in the accident.
“I wasn’t able to get a look at it due to my injury,” JC refers to the wheel itself. “I had to haul butt to find a ambulance. They informed me that it came apart at a weld on the wheel.”
Now, the doctors have him nearly fixed up. Wright is scheduled to be released by the doctor tomorrow. He will soon be back at the race track!
Terri Stuckey Note:
“Please keep JC Wright in your prayers. A tire blew up on him at Brunswick tonight. He is having surgery now. Earl Pearson’s/Black Diamond tire man.”
“Update: The wheel got JC inside his forearm. They had to repair tendons. Last I heard he should be released tomorrow Doctor just called his wife everything went well on the surgery. He had to sew 2 muscles together and get all of the nerves and tendons back in the right spot. They are taking him to an orthopedic room now. Thanks for all the prayers.”
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Related: Bloomquist racing tire explodes – At the team hauler
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