Timaru race-goers witnessed a horrific half-hour yesterday after a multi-car crash at the Levels circuit left Osca series driver Matt Cronin trapped in his burning car.
Cronin was last night in a stable condition at Timaru Hospital after the ordeal.
The crash occurred about 4pm, in the second-last event of the Super Truck Racing weekend.
Shortly before the end of the Osca race, Cronin's Toyota tangled with Neville Stowell's Subaru during an overtaking manouevre.
The Toyota hit a barrier with such force it spun back on to the track, before being hit by Laine Etwell's Pontiac at an estimated 200kmh, witness Mark McHoull, of Dunedin, said.
Etwell managed to crawl away from his vehicle as petrol spilled from the crashed race cars.
But the race crowd became anxious as Cronin's car burst into flames before officials moved in to extricate the driver, he said.
The fire was extinguished in about two minutes, and vehicles and tarpaulins put around the vehicle as the driver was removed, then taken to hospital by ambulance.
The final race of the event was cancelled.
A Fire Service communications spokesman said last night its personnel were called in when race officials were unable to extricate Cronin from his vehicle.
A South Canterbury District Health Board spokesman would give no further information on Cronin's condition last night.