It is with a very heavy heart that I advise you of this, but, a friend of mine lost his life yesterday at Fontana Raceway, in an accident that could have been avoided. Ronnie Marcum, 53, was going to test the transbrake on his dragster, in the pits, when everything went horribly wrong.
Ronnie, for reasons we will never know, DID NOT have his rear wheels on Pro Jacks/ Jackstands, and when he went to test the transbrake, the throttle stuck wide open, and the dragster went through the pits at close to 100mph before impacting into a trailer, killing Ronnie instantly.(As I type this, I am still in a state of shock as Ronnie was a racers racer with decades of racing experience) A junior dragster race was being held at the track, and thankfully, the kids were up in the staging lanes when this happened. (Ronnie crashed where several of them were pitted) My friend Jeff, who has two kids that race juniors, witnessed the accident from start to finish, and watched Ronnie die. Jeff was the first one to Ronnie, but, he knew that there was nothing he could do, Ronnie was gone.

Please, please, please take a moment when you are at the track, your shop, or your garage, to make sure that you and others around you are safe.
Ronnie leaves behind two kids, and several devastated friends who just can't believe this happened.....I am one of them.

Very sorry for the loss

Man, I read that yesterday and couldnt believe it. Better advice could not be suggested than what you just wrote.Its SO EASY TO ASSUME everything is ok, and here's a case of a reality check, and a reminder how fast things can go wrong, and how easy it is to forget about safety.


Godspeed to him, and in some strange way, maybe his accident will save someone else from serious harm, or worse yet, death.

thats terrible. when accidents happen, they happen FAST.

sorry to hear about your friend

WOW.....sorry

There is a thread going on this.....

https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/show...e=1#Post5404674

RIP

my condoleces to you and his family

Sorry for your loss

Very tragic a life lost in the blink of the eye. I've always wonered why guys check their trans brake in the pits. I've seen it a bunch of times, a guy backs the car into his pit, puts it in gear, engages the trans brake then smacks the throttle. It looks like an accident waiting to happen to me.

Very sad indeed!.......My prayers go out to his family and friends...

Sorry to hear this. Track is maybe 10 mins from me and i had no idea

i posted to the other thread but still feel the need to post here. it's horrible, absolutely horrible, sickening to hear and completely unacceptable. someone's father, husband, brother, friend loses his life and it could have been much worse. you see people doing this at pretty much any event you attend and i just don't understand it. i work in a refinery and have been racing for 30 years so i understand safety pretty well. in refining they have gone completely overboard with some of their safety requirements and if you question the rational of these standards you're looked at like some kind of madman. that said for all the safety crap that is piled on racers such a having to recert/replace perfectly good belts this is allowed to go on all the time and this is not the first time someone has lost their life because of it. imho this activity is one of the most hazardous conducts you see at any race. while i've seen plenty of other dangerous acts i think this is the worst. people become so complacent with the horsepower they have control over. having the brake release on the starting line becomes second nature because there's no one around you and certainly no one in front of you which i personally feel are the only conditions people should have the throttle open and the brake applied. i hope this serves as a wake up call before something similar happens again...it's a real shame

Hey Chris C.

I have known the Marcums for 32 years. The only one I hadn't seen in awhile was Charlie.

I totally agree that it is very unbelievable the Ronnie would do something like that..

I was told by a long time cop friend, who was at ground zero there, the Ronnie had sold that dragster to someone in Washington, and was sorting out some problems. The throttle was hanging up, and the car was stumbling on the brake..
Again, not making excuses for Ronnie, but I have known him for so long, it is just hard to believe he did that...

After my car was wrecked, I looked a safety in a different manner.
Billy D has been guilty of this offense, (when in a hurry), in the past, but NEVER again.. It's just not worth it.

15 minutes earlier, or later....We would be talking about something horrifying..

May he be with his brother Randy..In peace..

And if you have never seen any of the Marcums cars, you have missed a treat..
Some of the nicest, cleanest rides I've ever seen.

His 66 Nova is just awesomely beautiful..



Chris..

Sorry to hear about the lose. It is tragic. All it takes is a moment.

This is terrible but could have involved more people.

It is not a good idea to test a transbrake in the pits especially at wide open throttle. But on the track the throttle could have hung just the same. What do you do? Hope you can find the kill switch. On jack stands it is not a good idea either as you can explode the tranny because there is no load on the drivetrain.

This is an ugly problem you sell a car with problems. You are trying to fix a minor problem(stumbling on the brake)the major problem (a sticky throttle) takes your life.

Sorry for those who knew and now miss him.

Leon

I am Ronnie's girlfriend, Tina and I loved Marcum beyond comprehension, what an incredible man he was! I am truly grateful for everyday I had with him and will miss him more than words could possibly explain! I am very grateful to all of you who have posted it helps me get through the most painful time I have ever had!
To the Marcum's: Thank you for letting me be a part of your family! You are fanastic people!! Having you a part of my life especially now means the world to me!!
To his Racing Friends: Thank you for making me feel so welcome and a part of the Racing Family!
Love - Tina (T as he would call me)

it is Very sad indeed!.......My prayers go out to his family and friends

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