Steve Owen and Karl Reindlers's cars were both left burning after the spectacular start-line collision. Photo / Getty Images
V8 Supercar driver Karl Reindler is out of hospital and resting at home in Perth after his incredible escape from a burning Holden Commodore at Barbagallo Raceway.
Reindler has second degree burns to his hands and minor burns to his face after his car stalled on the grid, was rear-ended,
and exploded in flames on Sunday.
Somehow West Australian Reindler clawed his way out of the inferno as his $600,000 ($NZ815,300) Fair Dinkum Sheds Racing car was all but incinerated.
Reindler paid tribute to V8 medical staff, his own pit crew and those from rivals Kelly Racing and Holden Racing Team, who were first on the scene and helped extinguish the fire.
"It was a horrible feeling with fire inside the car," said Reindler, whose hands are heavily bandaged.
"I could feel my face burning, I couldn't get the chains (safety harness) off.
"Luckily the car and (race) suit did what they were supposed to do.
"But I'm back at home now and on the road to recovery."
Perhaps the unsung hero of the fire was Reindler's race suit - made of three layers of fireproof material.
Despite part of the safety harness melting on to the suit's outside, it remained largely intact.
That ensured flames were kept well away from Reindler's body - saving him far more serious injuries.
Meanwhile, V8 Supercars boss Martin Whitaker said an Indian driver and team in the V8 Supercar series is on the cards, with the nation's Formula One driving academy a possible recruiting target.
F1 team Force India has set up a training academy for young Indian motor racers.
And the V8s, who are keen to race in India as soon as next year, are looking at bringing in an Indian driver to help promote the series there.
"I'd love to see an Indian driver in the (second-tier) Fujitsu series cutting his teeth there, then moving up to the main game," Whitaker said.
"The very fact they're trying to bring young Indian drivers up through the ranks means they want them to go motor racing. It doesn't mean they have to go single-seater motor racing.
"It makes perfect sense that they look at an event like the V8 Supercars as a seat for one or two of those young drivers."
- AAP
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