bwa39
06-26-2011, 10:19 PM
Newmanstown, Pa. - June 26 - An on-track incident led to a horrific fire that left Xcel 600 Modified pilot Lester Dise in a medically induced coma with third degree burns over 50% of his body.
Dise was flown to the Burn Unit at Lehigh Valley Hospital on Saturday night after he was indirectly involved in a crash during the Xcel 600 Modified Tour feature at Lanco's Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway. Doctors at Lehigh Valley performed surgery late Saturday/early Sunday that will allow the muscles in Dise's legs to swell, as is normal with burn injuries.
The Burn Unit's staff believes that Dise will remain in a heavily sedated state for the next month or so, as his burns begin to heal. His vital signs have remained strong throughout the ordeal. While his prognosis is guardedly optimistic, Dise has a long road to recovery ahead of him.
With four laps complete in the Xcel feature on Saturday, Brian Mady spun and hit the guardrail in turn three. Dise, running behind Mady at the time, caromed off Mady's car and continued.
Dise slowly circulated the oval under yellow, then pulled low on the track as he exited turn four. As his No. 27 coasted to a stop, flames developed behind the car. Within seconds, fire engulfed the entire car. Officials with fire extinguishers quickly ran to his aid as Dise struggled to open the roof hatch on his car. He was finally able to open the hatch and stand up, allowing the safety crew to pull him out of the car.
The speedway's EMT's treated Dise until the Scheafferstown Ambulance arrived. It was determined that Dise needed to be flown to Lehigh Valley, and the Life Lion Helicopter was summoned to transport him to the Burn Unit.
While the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, it is believed that a fuel line or fitting came apart on the No. 27 - possibly from the contact with Mady's car.
Dise is a former 270cc Micro-Sprint competitor who lives in Mt. Penn (a suburb of Reading, Pa.). He and his girlfriend, Morgan, recently had a baby, and Dise was making occasional starts in his Xcel 600 Modified in his first season of competition in that division.
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Dise was flown to the Burn Unit at Lehigh Valley Hospital on Saturday night after he was indirectly involved in a crash during the Xcel 600 Modified Tour feature at Lanco's Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway. Doctors at Lehigh Valley performed surgery late Saturday/early Sunday that will allow the muscles in Dise's legs to swell, as is normal with burn injuries.
The Burn Unit's staff believes that Dise will remain in a heavily sedated state for the next month or so, as his burns begin to heal. His vital signs have remained strong throughout the ordeal. While his prognosis is guardedly optimistic, Dise has a long road to recovery ahead of him.
With four laps complete in the Xcel feature on Saturday, Brian Mady spun and hit the guardrail in turn three. Dise, running behind Mady at the time, caromed off Mady's car and continued.
Dise slowly circulated the oval under yellow, then pulled low on the track as he exited turn four. As his No. 27 coasted to a stop, flames developed behind the car. Within seconds, fire engulfed the entire car. Officials with fire extinguishers quickly ran to his aid as Dise struggled to open the roof hatch on his car. He was finally able to open the hatch and stand up, allowing the safety crew to pull him out of the car.
The speedway's EMT's treated Dise until the Scheafferstown Ambulance arrived. It was determined that Dise needed to be flown to Lehigh Valley, and the Life Lion Helicopter was summoned to transport him to the Burn Unit.
While the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, it is believed that a fuel line or fitting came apart on the No. 27 - possibly from the contact with Mady's car.
Dise is a former 270cc Micro-Sprint competitor who lives in Mt. Penn (a suburb of Reading, Pa.). He and his girlfriend, Morgan, recently had a baby, and Dise was making occasional starts in his Xcel 600 Modified in his first season of competition in that division.
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