Penguin's daughter trapped in burning car.

[Silver Penguin]

My daughter, who was reluctant to learn to drive has recently embraced the sport of Demolition Derby Racing. She works on her own cars and has a ton of fun playing with them.

Last weekend, she went to the Southern California Fair. Here is some video of her, in the black #42.



Dad and I were watching from the stands. Since the camera doesn't lie, the fire was apparently extinguished within a couple of minutes but I could have sworn that it burned for an hour. When I saw the track officials roll the ambulance, I took off at a run, to go check on her. Louise was sitting in the back of the ambulance, signing the refusal of treatment form, asking the medics to hurry because she had to get back to the track.

Minutes later, she hopped into a beat up old RV and competed in Riverside County's first ever RV derby.

Sure, she doesn't ride a bike but I'm proud of my little girl (and just as anxious as if she WERE riding a bike).

 

[Old Michael]

Glad Louise is okay, Jill.

(At first, I thought that video was of you leaving the parking lot at Macy's.)

 

[Niehart]

As my dad would say "Apple does not fall far from the tree". Verrrry Cooool Mama!

 

[Ignacio]

Wow. That's gotta be the longest 30 seconds of a spectating mother's life. Glad you and her are OK.

I raced my own #42 at my local track just before I got the FJR in the Hornet class. I never caught on fire though. :blink:

 

[Tyler]

Wow. That's gotta be the longest 30 seconds of a spectating mother's life. Glad you and her are OK.

No kidding! Glad she's ok, Jill... and proud of you as a mama to let her do what she loves. : B)

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

Glad she is OK, Jill. So are you going to watch her on the track again soon?

The video was scarey

 

[TruWrecks]

Glad she is okay. Fires can turn bad real fast. At least she had everything at the track to help her.

 

[airboss]

My daughter, who was reluctant to learn to drive has recently embraced the sport of Demolition Derby Racing. She works on her own cars and has a ton of fun playing with them.

So, this is how she trains, before driving on the California freeways? :lol:

 

[Patriot]

Wow, what a gal doing a sport she loves...

She's supposed to get ALL FIRED UP before the event !!! :yahoo:

Just sayin'

 

[beemerdons]

Wow, Jill; very glad Louise is OK! Outstanding, that you are a booster in her racing efforts. You have to be supportive of your children in whatever they want to do. Take my SkooterG, I've been backing him in his attempt to be a kamikaze pilot!!

 

[Zorlac]

Wow Jill!

I'm glad that didn't get totally out of hand, the powerless terror you felt must have been excruciating!

Glad she got right back on the horse though. :thumbsupsmiley:

Don, Kamikaze pilot trade school might actually have a future for kids who don't find a job and move out.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Wow...now THAT is scary. :blink:

GLAD she is okay. :clapping:

 

[TheAxeman]

Even knowing the outcome that was still incredibly scary to watch, I can't even imagine sitting in the stands as a parent. Great, quick response by the track crew in getting the fire under control.

 

[v65]

I dare say you handled that better than I probably would have!

 

[johnny80s]

Glad everything worked out ok. I could not believe how big the flames were.

 

[Big-D]

Scary video Jill! We watch as our kids go in search of their own desires in hopes they will enjoy life, still worrying about their every move. To be a spectator and witness your daughters car erupt into flames had to scare the heck out of you. A mothers instinct to protect coupled with a sudden sense of helplessness is a feeling no parent should ever repeat. Your daughter acting smart and precise, got out of that car and allowed the safety crew to perform their job.

So happy to see this scary event had a happy ending!

 

[cometman]

Holy Smokes......Glad everything turned out okay. Geez Louise!

 

[Silver Penguin]

I did have some fleeting thoughts about giving my blessing to Louise doing this, but when I saw the look on her face there was no doubt that this is something she loves to do. It makes her very happy to go out and smash cars. And the fact that she DOESN'T do it on the freeway is a relief. (She drives her 64 Comet very gently and politely, as she does the hearse at work). The derby is the culmination of many hours of work spent prepping the cars.

My little girl has been married and moved out for five years now. Since we both lead busy lives, we don't see much of each other. I don't worry about her on a daily basis yet this event revealed that she's still my baby. I had no idea of the depth of panic that a parent could feel, until now. This must be how my mother felt when I got a bike!

Louise's Dad has a different way of dealing with it. Our daughter came over to visit on Tuesday. As she left, he asked if she was having trouble getting her car started, then offered a box of matches.

 

[Patriot]

LOL on matches...something I would do

Bless my Mom's heart as she NEVER openly discouraged me from doing stuff as long as I did it right with proper suburb training and not cutting corners on equipment. Dad also. The last year of her life in 2008, she shared the stress, worry, and terror about some of my interests.

I learned to fly at 16 and flew for the Navy for 6.5 years. I tried sky diving, hang gliding, surfing and water skiing.

I loved Scuba and White Water Rafting and traveled the world to do it. I was a missionary for a year and went to Belize, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and France. The worry she had was the trip to El Salvador during the war in the 80's.

What I did using some wisdom was go and help a very experienced Christian Missionary who would visit somewhere monthly. He mentored me and I was an apprentice to evangelism and church planting.

I spent 3 weeks in Hawaii camping out with a tour provided by the Smithsonian.

I raced dirt bikes in Enduro events; like a car rally where you try to average a certain speed riding through the woods against the clock for 100mi or so.

I was involved in competitive Judo.

Sigh, those were the days...