A hero dad who rushed into a blazing inferno to save his son’s £40,000 sports car has kept his son’s motor racing dreams alive.
Brave father Pete Orton, 55, raced towards the flames after a huge fire broke as son Will, 16, was preparing for a race at Snetterton in Norflok.
The huge blaze sparked pandemonium as thick black smoke billowed from a lorry parked next to Will’s beloved Ginetta G40 racing car.
Hero Pete watched on in horror with wife Liz, 50, before he realised that 100 litres of race fuel and compressed air cylinders were stored next to the flames.
Pete, a kayak manufacturer, said: “It was a bomb waiting to go off.
“Rightly or wrongly, we pulled the fuel cans out and shifted the compressed air.
“I could hear my wife Liz shout at me to come away, but I carried on.”
A trackside fire truck then arrived and quelled the flames – just enough for Pete to push Will’s car to safety.
Three fire trucks later arrived and extinguished the blaze within 15 minutes.
Pete’s brave actions meant that son Will, who competes in the Senior British Ginetta GT5 championship, can keep working towards his racing driver dream.
Will, who is studying for a motorsport diploma from September, said:
“My dad was really brave to get my car out.
“Who knows how bad it would have been if he hadn’t have done what he did.”
Sadly, Will’s family from Flintham, Notts lost £8,000 worth of racing gear to the blaze, including Will’s race suit and essential car spares.
Will’s driving coach Bobby Thompson has set up a fundraising page to replace Will’s race suit and rebuild the team.
https://gofund.me/73f48d89
