Bryant Goldstone Reveals Full Extent of Horror Fire Ahead of Drag Week Campaign
When disaster struck Bryant Goldstone’s Corvette, the car was badly damaged and its driver suffered second-degree burns. A month later, a small army of friends, businesses and fellow racers have helped put it back together — and he’s still chasing fives.
Just a month ago, Goldstone’s Corvette was engulfed in flames during a run, leaving the car in need of extensive repairs and Goldstone himself with second-degree burns to his face.
The fire started when a crimp on a transmission line came apart. The resulting leak ignited, turning the line into what Goldstone described as a “torch” inside the car.
“I paid for it, getting second-degree burns on my face not covered by my sock or helmet,” Goldstone said. “If my shield would have been down I would’ve walked away unscathed. Lesson learned the hard way!”
The experience has changed the way he approaches the car. Goldstone has since installed a fresh-air system, allowing him to keep his helmet shield down from the burnout all the way through the run.
The Corvette, meanwhile, needed considerably more than a quick cleanup.
The morning after he got home, longtime friend Norm Vandermee showed up and immediately got to work.
“As soon as I got home the next day Norm came over and cut the roof off,” Goldstone said.
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Vandermee took the damaged section back to his shop, where he repaired it well enough to create a mold for a carbon-fiber replacement.
At the same time, Goldstone contacted Devin at HCR Innovations about the extensive wiring repairs the car would need. Devin, Laura and Daniel squeezed the Corvette into their schedule.
“They put in two 13-hour days and had me on my way home,” Goldstone said. “They do great work and are well worth a 15-hour drive each way.”
With the mechanical and electrical work underway, the next challenge was making the Corvette look like itself again.
Kevin Davis, one of Goldstone's oldest and closest friends, convinced his employer to rush the Corvette through their shop. In roughly a week, the bodywork was complete.
“It looks fantastic,” Goldstone said.
Then came the finishing touches. Adam Podell handled the graphics, Jr. Ryman handled the vinyl, and Pro Glass supplied a new windshield and passenger-door glass.
Joe Schott also made the trip from Ohio to help get the car back together, replacing the cables, fire bottles and the various plastic components that had been damaged in the fire.
It was a remarkable amount of work in a remarkably short amount of time.
The goal was to get everything completed with enough time left for a single day of testing before packing the Corvette up for Drag Week.
At the track, Goldstone and his crew spent the entire day working on the car. They managed just two runs, but those two passes provided some important information.
“I think we are close and figured out a lot,” Goldstone said.
A month ago, Goldstone was dealing with a burned race car, significant injuries and a seemingly impossible deadline. Today, the Corvette is repaired, tested and headed to Drag Week.
The goal hasn't changed: Goldstone still wants to run fives.
Only now, getting the car to the starting line might be the bigger accomplishment.
