Ted Harbit injured in drag race

[lschuc]

The Studebaker Driver's Club forum is down for awhile, but earlier had this news about fellow Avanti owner and Studebaker racer Ted Harbit. I am copying it below:

Lew

Many of you may know of Ted Harbit. He is a legend in Drag Racing and certainly a Hall of Fame Studebaker owner. Ted was hurt last night after just passing the finish line in a 1/8" mile race at the drag strip in Muncie, Indiana. It appears a rod came through the oil pan and the escaping oil caused Ted to loose control. Apparently, he flipped 10-12 times. I had the chance a few months ago to spend an afternoon with Ted at his home and thorough go over the Chicken Hawk. Ted is an amazing guy. Everything done to the Chicken Hawk was Ted's own hand crafted work. He was a school teacher all his life in Grant County, Indiana. A very humble, very religious fellow that has helped many Studebaker owners. I bought most of the parts used on my 64 Avanti from Ted until he sold that business to Phil Harris.

Our prayers are with Ted and Mary Ann.

The following two posts are from the Studebaker Driver's Forum:

FROM BOB PALMA:

Ted Harbit is being treated at Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie IN for the following major injuries following his accident this evening at The Muncie Dragway. In addition to bumps, bruises, and scratches, he received one collapsed lung, a broken right scapula, and two broken lumbar bones. (They told her lumbar bones, not lumbar discs. I clarified that with her in that I had not heard of lumbar bones either.)

He never lost consciousness and was talking to her from the Emergency Room. She said it would be OK for Cari and I to come visit him tomorrow (Sunday) early afternoon after church, so that's what we will do.

As for what happened: He rolled The Chicken Hawk TEN TIMES just after completing the eighth-mile at The Muncie Dragway this evening, in that they were running only the eighth tonight.

They told her something let loose in the engine room and sprayed the underside of the car with oil. It lost traction and he lost control. It hit the guard rail hard enough to flip over the guard rail and begin rolling. It rolled so many times that he ultimately hit the sign posts holding the signs that signal the times and ETs...and the sign posts are located at the end of the quarter-mile strip!

We should not assume "the engine blew" or anything, because that is not known. It might have been something as simple as an oil line to a turbocharger letting go. I'll find out tomorrow if Ted knows what happened.

Needless to say, after 47 years of running who knows how many times at The Muncie Dragway, The Chicken Hawk has been destroyed. Ted turned 74 years of age this past weekend, and the number of times that car has blistered The Muncie Dragway drag strip surely numbers in the thousands.

Mary Ann said they plan to keep him at least a week, so if anyone wants to send a card or other well-wishes, here's the address:

Ted Harbit

c/o Ball Memorial Hospital

2401 West University Avenue

Muncie IN 47303-3428

The Chicken Hawk is/was equipped with a full roll cage, and, of course, Ted wears a professional body harness and full helmet at all times. Those and the Grace of God have enabled us to still have our friend Ted Harbit with us.

Keep him in your prayers. (For those of you on The Studebaker Drivers Club Forum, as you know, the forum has been down. But when it is up, I'll post this report.)

Good night & God Bless. Bob Palma

FROM JOHN FEISTRITZER:

I was not at the track racing tonight, but received a call and went out. Oh, you know that, you talked to Judy. He had already been taken to the hospital, and we went about the task of moving the car.

A large tractor came in and pulled it from the soft ground where it stopped. Took it to a paved spot, and it was winched up onto a flatbed roll back truck. Then we backed Ted's truck and the rollback together and winched the car onto Ted's truck. I brought them to my house, that was a consensus of several people as the right thing to do. Here it will not have to be dealt with anytime soon.

Kenny Robinson (Frantic Fred's son) said a rod was sticking out of the pan.

Racer Larry Thrash said he heard a pop and looked up and Ted was sliding. He was in the right lane, crossed lanes, apparently airborne, and something broke the windshield of the left lane car. Someone said Ted's car hit it, someone said a piece of Ted's car hit it.

He hit the left guardrail, and from where he hit it it was a good 50 feet before there were marks in the grass. Then another 50 or so feet before more marks in the grass. A few feet farther was the sign post. A racer on the return strip said the car backed into the post (thank God it wasn't a side impact, the post had been imbedded to the back window), the car stood up against the post, and the front of the car knocked the win light off the scoreboard. A couple of pirouettes and it landed right side up.

One of the first guys to the car said he had unstrapped himself and was feeling around in the seat as if looking for something. He asked Ted what his name was, he said "Ted". Asked him how old he was, he said "too old". That's all I know, some of it heresy and I saw the marks on the ground myself.

The last report I heard before I left the track was that he had a broken left arm and something wrong with a finger on his right hand. Obviously, your report is more official.

John

[lschuc]

Here are three photos sent to me of Ted's famous 1951 Studebaker after the accident.

[okc63avanti]

It would appear that the Chicken Hawk is a total lost, but we can all be thankful that Ted is alive and recovering nicely.

[SBCA96]

Looking at whats left of the Chicken Hawk, he got very lucky.

Tom

[lschuc]

I and many others, most likely, received a short email from Ted today, just to report that he is now at home, saw the car remains, and considers himself very lucky.

He is happy to be at home now!!

Lew