PARTNER PROFILE
EXPLOSIVE RESULTS
Why one racer is spreading the word on transmission safety
BY STEVE BAUR
After being injured from a catastrophic transmission failure , veteran mud racer Jeff Richardson is sharing his story and the measures he took to prevent a Turbo 400 explosion from happening again in hopes of saving you time , money , and most importantly , your life .
In any type of door-car racing , the driver sits just inches away from the intense rotational forces at work in the transmission , torque converter , and clutch components . These components are quite reliable for the most part , but failures and explosions such as the one Richardson experienced do happen . When they let go , they go ballistic , sending shrapnel upwards and often towards the driver . There are safety measures designed to protect drivers when this sort of event occurs , but specifically for the Turbo 400 , upgrading to the Sonnax Smart-Tech ® drum module can prevent it from happening in the first place .
Richardson has been mud racing for 25 years and never experienced a transmission failure until 2023 . He launched his 900-wheel-horsepower , twin-turbo , LS-powered ’ 87 Chevy S10 pickup and after he shifted into second gear , the transmission exploded .
“ It was like a bomb went off ,” Richardson shares . The centrifugal force at work flung the cast-iron pieces out through the aluminum transmission case , through the steel floor of the truck , through the steel racing seat , and unfortunately , into Richardson ’ s right leg . Richardson employs a ballistic transmission blanket for just such an event , but it had slid backwards . Some of the ejected pieces escaped because of this , but some also tore through a portion of the blanket .
The EMS staff on site took a look at the injury and then put him in the ambulance and took him to the emergency room .
“ The ER doctor was just going to numb me up and pull the piece out of my leg , but the trauma team came in and took over ,” Richardson explains . “ The doctor wasn ’ t sure if he would be able to close it up due to the tissue damage , but he was
Pictured here is the original Turbo 400 two-drum ( forward and direct ) design on the left and the Sonnax Smart-Tech drum module on the right .
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF SONNAX
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