BITD Parker 425 - Donahoe Racing - Las Vegas 300

We're on fire! Get out! Get out! Get out!"
With those words, Kreg Donahoe pulled the 9,000-pound Super Duty off the course and yanked his five-point harness wide open. Springing onto the desert floor, he nabbed a fire extinguisher from its mount, pulled the pin, and emptied the contents onto the flames. The fire hiccoughed, gathered strength, and sprang back to life.

Then something awesome happened. Each and every one of Kreg's competitors pulled over and gave up their fire extinguishers to save the DR Super Duty. The wicked flames fought valiantly, ultimately succumbing to the relentless fog of fire-retardant powder. The truck, although badly wounded, was intact and its crew unharmed.

Off-Road Hall of Fame Vice Chairman Bob Bower occupied the third seat when the fire broke out during the 2006 Best In The Desert Las Vegas 300. In addition to the usual safety gear, Bob brought two other accessories along for the ride: his wits and his Nikon D200. Before exiting the truck, Bob's wits prompted him to call in to the Donahoe main pit and tell them that yes, the truck was on fire but that the crew was OK. Safely outside and cool under fire, he proceeded to snap several frames of the unfolding event. "I got no end of grief for taking photos during the fire," he related later. "But everyone was safe, and the fire was being knocked down. If I didn't take a few pictures, who was going to?"

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, we'll cut to the photos here. Follow along as Team Donahoe brings its wounded beast back from the brink, thrusting it immediately into the thick of the BITD Parker 425.

The fire out, Kreg patched enough wires together to make the engine run. "The tranny was fried, so we couldn't move under our own power, but getting the motor running meant that we had power steering and power brakes while we were being towed out.
The fire out, Kreg patched enough wires together to make the engine run. "The tranny was
Back at the shop in Corona, California, the toasted drivetrain was pulled. Not surprisingly, the engine bay resembled the inside of a barbecue.
Back at the shop in Corona, California, the toasted drivetrain was pulled. Not surprising

These magical cylinders can save trucks and save lives. Any doubt as to whether or not one belongs in your own off-road rig?
These magical cylinders can save trucks and save lives. Any doubt as to whether or not on
"As it turned out," comments Chief Engineer Dylan Evans, "rebuilding this truck wasn't that much more extensive than a normal deep prep. We normally rebuild the drivetrain twice during the season, so it was a matter of cleaning up the fire damage on top of that. What's really scary, though, was how close we came to losing the whole truck."
"As it turned out," comments Chief Engineer Dylan Evans, "rebuilding this truck wasn't tha
Ashes and cooked electrical connectors aside, the tranny casing looks pretty good. This unit was sent off for a rebuild, and is now a spare awaiting duty. To prepare for Parker, the team bolted a factory-new slush box into the truck.
Ashes and cooked electrical connectors aside, the tranny casing looks pretty good. This u

Here's the culprit. This tranny cooler hose overheated, ruptured, and showered ATF all over the exhaust pipe. When new, the braided steel hose is a robust piece. After cooking, it took on the qualities of a wet noodle. "We'd put out the fire, and more tranny fluid would shoot onto the pipe, and the fire would restart," comments Kreg. "If we hadn't been given fire extinguishers by the other teams, we wouldn't have been able to keep pace with the fire, and the truck would have been a total loss."
Here's the culprit. This tranny cooler hose overheated, ruptured, and showered ATF all ov
A fresh Banks-fortified 6.0 Power Stroke awaits installation. It's sitting next to its charred brother.
A fresh Banks-fortified 6.0 Power Stroke awaits installation. It's sitting next to its ch
Like killing an ant with a 2-pound sledge, Donahoe Racing took sweeping measures to ensure a similar fire would never happen again. The tranny cooler hose (not shown, but it will connect at the circled port) was upgraded, and the exhaust was wrapped in a thick blanket of insulation.
Like killing an ant with a 2-pound sledge, Donahoe Racing took sweeping measures to ensure

The insulation was wrapped all the way up to the turbo connection. This will help keep the heat safely inside the 4-inch tube until it safely exits the truck's tailpipe.
The insulation was wrapped all the way up to the turbo connection. This will help keep th
Per the class rules, the stock dash must be retained but can be modified to fit gauges. A Banks PDA monitor sits at center stage here, supplemented by Auto Meter items. Although not shown in their final positions, the Auto Meter gauges will be clocked so that the needles will be vertical during normal operating conditions. This clocking means a cursory glance can tell the codriver whether things underhood are OK or not. A nonvertical indicator needle means something's amiss.
Per the class rules, the stock dash must be retained but can be modified to fit gauges. A
Super Duty Crew Chief Jon Kantola eases the Banks Techni-Cooler back into place. At this point, the main components are in place, but umpteen details must still be attended to.
Super Duty Crew Chief Jon Kantola eases the Banks Techni-Cooler back into place. At this