Drag racer in 132mph fireball as parents watched

Kasey Dixon-Grainger, 23, who had been drag racing for six years, died after his car flipped several times before exploding at York Raceway, in East Yorkshire, on August 28, last year, in front of his parents and spectators.

His father, Paul Grainger, told an inquest yesterday how his son had performed an “uneventful” first run on the quarter-mile track, but on his second race, the purple modified 1966 Ford Cortina “veered to the right, after then started to roll”.

“I immediately ran across the track to get to the car,” Mr Grainger told Hull Coroner’s Court. “The car burst into flames. From there, it was chaotic.”

Mr Grainger, also a keen drag racer who ran a mechanics garage with his son, said he “strongly suspected” that the cause of the crash had been a fatigue fracture on part of the wheel axis, which could have caused the wheel to veer to one side.

He said: “I eventually got the car back from the police earlier this month and found it had a fatigue crack where the axle is attached to the car.

“That is a prime suspect to me. That would be an explanation as to why the car veered to the right.

“We can’t prove it 100 per cent, but in my eyes it’s 99 per cent the cause of the crash.”

Michael Waudby, a vehicle inspector for Humberside Police, also said: “There is a distinct possibility that the joint had faulted as the car hit the finish line.

“This would have had the effect of steering the vehicle in a right hand veer.

“A vehicle in an over-steer situation is the most difficult for a driver to quickly rectify and control, particularly when at speed.”

Ian Charlton, Collisions Investigations Officer for Humberside Police, called it a “real possibility” but without forensic examination it could not be said for definite.

The officer also pointed out defects in Kasey’s safety harness. He said the fact the harness was bolted into a wooden floor instead of a steel floor might have reduced the likelihood of him surviving.

A consultant histopathologist concluded that Kasey, of Billingham, Teesside, a qualified motor mechanic, died of a brain haemorrhage caused by the injuries sustained during the crash.

Coroner Geoffrey Saul recorded an accidental death verdict.

Mr Saul said Paul Mears, the East Riding of Yorkshire Council Inspector of Health and Safety, was in discussions with the International Organisation of Professional Drivers about the safety of drag races.

After the inquest, Mr Grainger and Kasey’s mother Tanya Dixon-Grainger called their son a “happy-go-lucky guy who everybody loved”.

“He lived for racing,” Mr Grainger said. “He knew the risks, we all do, but that’s part of the adrenaline, he was happy to take the risk because he loved it so much.

“Everybody loved him at the race track. We’ve had such support from everyone in the racing community since, they’ve been great.”

His parents, who are both keen drag racers themselves, say they will continue their hobby despite what happened to their son.

The victim’s mother said: “In a way, I’m glad I was there because I know everything that happened – I don’t have to rely on people telling me about it.

“Obviously it was horrific. As a parent you never imagine you will see that sort of thing happen to your son. Now we want to make sure lessons are learnt.”