Team BOC Prepares for Winton Race in Victoria

REINDLER'S 'CRASH' COURSE WITH MTB

Vehicle fires are rarely as spectacular and potentially devastating as the one that engulfed Karl Reindler's Fair Dinkum Sheds Racing car at Barbagallo Raceway earlier this month.

They are, however, not uncommon.

In the run up to this weekend's racing at Winton Motor Raceway Reindler met with the Metropolitan Fire Brigade in Melbourne to highlight the need for car fire safety on Australian roads.

The MFB emphasized the importance of carrying a powder extinguisher in the boot of every car, equipment that saved Reindler from more serious burns.

The 26-year-old, who received second-degree burns to his hands, underwent a skin graft on his right hand last week but is fit to race at Winton this weekend.

His car sustained approximately $160,000 damage and could not be repaired. It has been replaced thanks to a phenomenal effort from the FDSR crew who built a new car from an existing chassis over approximately 675 man-hours.

Karl Reindler
Fair Dinkum Sheds Racing
"I don't think the accident's affected me too much, I'm just excited to get back behind the wheel of the car. I'd be kidding myself if I said it won't be in the back of my mind on the grid this Saturday but I'm just happy to be here. It could have been a lot worse. I'm very lucky.

"Coming to the fire brigade today has been a real education for me. We take it for granted in the race car because we've got such good safety equipment and people standing by to help, but I really had no idea what to do."

John Hale
Station Officer
"Having a dry powder fire extinguisher in your car is as important as a spare tyre and knowing how to respond quickly could prevent major damage and potential injury.

"We definitely don't want people to place themselves in a position where they're at risk but if you notice a fire in your car pull over, put the hand brake on and turn the car off. Pop the bonnet release and move to a safe location to call 000.

"If you've got a fire extinguisher, empty the contents into the engine compartment without lifting the bonnet. That's very important. Never open the bonnet."

Podium: race winner Jason Bright

Photo by: Edge Photographics

ONE FOR THE UNDERDOG

Winning at Barbagallo Raceway was Jason Bright's 16th career victory but an important first for Team BOC.

The Albury-based team had come close to its allusive first victory many times but Bright believes Perth was the watershed that will see plenty of success to follow.

Bright now intends to carry his good form to Winton for this weekend's races. His last victory at the north Victoria track was with FPR in 2006 but Bright says the rewards for winning as the underdog are far more satisfying.

Practice starts tomorrow (Friday) at 9.30am.

Jason Bright
Team BOC
"BJR hasn't taken any shortcuts and that win in Perth was for all the right reasons, which is the most satisfying thing about it. We didn't win just because of fuel economy, bad weather or someone else's bad luck. We won it because our car was the quickest and I really believe it wasn't a one-off.

"Most of my other wins came when I was driving for FPR or HRT, which is a very different environment. Wins seemed a lot easier to come by then but the championship's changed a lot. Now everyone has to work hard for it because the little teams are getting more and more competitive and that is very satisfying for me, to be fighting for the underdog.

"I'm confident the car should transfer pretty well from Perth to Winton. The strengths that we had there are also the strengths that you need here to have a car that looks after its tyres and, like Perth, it's a track that's been good to me over the years."

-source: team BOC