The V8 Supercar star is lucky to escape the BURNING HELL after his car caught FIRE on the track and he was engulfed in flames in the pit lane in terrifying scenes at Albert Park.
- James Courtney’s Ford Mustang caught fire on Saturday afternoon
- The V8 Supercars veteran managed to get the car to the pits on time.
- The incident came just one day after another Ford Mustang suffered the same fate.
V8 supercar James Courtney had a lucky escape on Saturday when his Ford Mustang caught fire and was engulfed by a fireball while in the pit lane at Albert Park.
Flames became visible on Tickford Racing’s left front wheel as Courtney took the final two turns in Melbourne in an attempt to bring the car back to pit lane.
The 42-year-old returned just in time, as the car was engulfed by a large fire as soon as he returned to the pits, with thick black smoke billowing from his Ford Mustang.
As the pit crew rushed to help him with the fire extinguishers, Courtney managed to quickly get out of the car and put on a surprisingly nonchalant figure when speaking to Fox Motorsport afterwards.
“I saw the flames and I told the guys I could smell something in the left front corner,” he said.
James Courtney’s Ford Mustang caught fire at Albert Park on Saturday shortly after he returned to pit lane after smelling smoke.
The pit crew and fire marshals rushed to Courtney’s rescue after her car disappeared in a cloud of thick black smoke after she returned to the pits.
Then I could see the flames. I just tried to get to the pits. They have all the fire fighting material to try to save the car.
The incident came just a day after Nick Percat’s Ford Mustang suffered the same fate during Friday’s Supersprint race.
The fire in Percat’s car also seemed to start near the left front wheel, which Courtney suggested pointed to a major problem with the Ford.
‘Probably similar to what happened to Nick [Percat],’ he said.
It seems that it is the same place. Not good.’
The V8 Supercars veteran made a lucky escape at Albert Park on Saturday, managing to get out of his car before it was completely engulfed in flames.
Courtney revealed that she only tried to get the car back to pit lane after smelling smoke.
Speaking after the fire forced him to retire on Friday, Percat revealed that he was shocked when he realized his car was on fire.
“I know what I have as far as clothing, I’m going to be safe, I don’t know what happened,” Percat told Fox Sports.
‘I thought I could smell something in the straight back, maybe the exhaust or something.
“The next thing I said was ‘Oh my God, I’m on fire.'”