In motorsports, risk is one of the components along for the ride. Whether a driver, crew or family chooses to fully accept it or not, parts failures, crashes, and even fire can strike without warning, and it’s up to you to prepare for it.

After a scare with fire in 2015, Lyle Barnett would make some serious changes in his racing program going forward. What happened when fire returned in a big way one week ago?

With just 9 days to go before Sick Summer, the Diehl brothers rolled a pair of turbocharged Mustangs out to test at US 131 Motorsports Park. The test turned a bit hot for Merry, as the ’94 Mustang belched fire as Chris turned off the track after completing a pass.

“The car has an onboard fire system, and I’m grateful for it and the safety gear I was wearing. I didn’t see any fire damage inside the car, but when I got the car stopped and got out, my feet were hot.”

“Sick Week is awesome people, awesome cars, and a fun automotive/racing challenge. How does it get any better?”

“I know this is a long and jumbled mess, but we will rebuild and will make it to Sick Week.”