The Finnish team of Elmeri Salakari that had shown so much promise in the Pingel Top Fuel Motorcycle Series opener is regrouping after a serious accident earlier this week on Interstate 40 in Oklahoma as it was traveling to the PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park.

Crew member Ari Lapiolahti (who goes by the nickname "Nitro Jesus") was severely injured and remains hospitalized at an Oklahoma City hospital. According to Jaska Salakari, the racer's father, Lapiolahti's right foot was severed at the scene, and his leg has been amputated below the knee. He also suffered splintered ribs, a broken collarbone, and possible shoulder damage and is in danger of losing several fingers. He has undergone several surgeries and is facing several more in the coming days.

"But he is alive and not paralyzed or brain-damaged," Jaska Salakari said. 

With help from hauler driver Hannes Köntti (a/k/a "Hanski"). Elmeri Salakari, trained in first aid and trauma management during his service with Finland's Army, applied a compression bandage on Lapiolahti's thigh with an extension cord, almost certainly saving his life.

According to motorcycle-racing publication Eat My Ink, racer Elmeri Salakari, a finalist at the Route 66 Nationals at Joliet, Ill., and his father, Jaska Salakari, had stopped at Sam Wills' shop at Oklahoma City. Wills had loaned a hauler to the Salakari organization, and shortly after loading it and taking off for Dinwiddie, Va., at about 5 p.m. (Central Time), they first experienced a minor mishap.

The rig hit a bump in the road that caused enough trouble to require the team to pull over to the side of the highway and fix it. Despite the fact the team had taken proper and adequate measures to alert oncoming traffic, a semi-truck came along and crashed into the rear of the hauler at full force. The rig was inoperable, and the contents were destroyed.

Elmeri Salakari also was injured. He momentarily had lost consciousness on impact but awoke in time to help his friend, but he later as treated and released from the same hospital with minor bruises and stretched ligaments in his right thumb.

Friends established a Go Fund Me page to help defray medical expenses. The link to that is: 
Fundraiser by Elmeri Salakari : Salakari Racing - Ari Lapiolahti Recovery Fund (gofundme.com)

Jaska Salakari provided details of the situation in the following post from his Facebook page:

"Thanks for all the hundreds of messages we have received in the last two days. We appreciate them. They have helped us survive these days.

"[It is unclear] What really happened in the accident and what damage and injuries did the accident cause. The situation is not good in any way except that no one died.

"The accident happened in a road work zone where the speed limit is 55 mph. The road was in really bad condition and huge bumps, Hanski was driving the truck and noticed that there were sparks everywhere behind the truck. The trailer was thrown from side to side on the safety chains and was close to falling on its side. He managed to stop safely on the side of the road. Ari immediately said that this is a very dangerous place to stop, and he and Elmeri moved the plastic traffic control cones closing the lane until the previous junction before they went to see how they could quickly hook the trailer back up and continue to the truck stop half a mile away to check more closely what happened.

"Hanski took a flashlight and went behind the trailer to warn other traffic. Elmeri and Ari went between the truck and the trailer to hook the trailer back up. Hanski noticed that the oncoming semi would not slow down or change lanes and was going to hit the trailer, but he didn't have time to warn his friends.

"Terrible blow and bang to the trailer parts of the trailer filled with air and the road. Hanski's thought was that both died immediately. He first shouted to Elmeri, who answered from thirty yards away from the bottom of the ditch, after which he shouted to Ari, whose answer was not heard. Elmeri climbed up from the ditch. They found what looked like a clothespin, which was revealed to be Ari, who was seriously injured. His right leg was missing from the ankle, and Ari did not react to anything. Before the ambulance arrived, Elmeri and Hanski put a compression bandage on Ari's thigh with an extension cord so that he wouldn't bleed to dryness and gave first aid, which possibly saved Ari's life. Elmeri has received thorough trauma and first aid training while serving in the Finnish Army, he did not panic or go into shock even though the situation was really chaotic.

"Elmeri tried to call 911, but Prepay can't call 911. He called me at 5.09 a.m. I immediately understood from his voice that something really serious had happened. He said that a truck hit behind them at least 60 mph and everything was destroyed. He and Hanski are alive, but there is no information about Ari. I asked him to share his location with me, which was 40 miles from my hotel. I started driving to the place immediately. I got there and tried to get out of the car to check what happened to my son and my two friends. The police wouldn't let them out of the car and threatened to arrest me if I didn't continue the journey immediately, I didn't get any information, I had to keep going. Just like I had my worst nightmare.

"Elmeri was really not well. He had lost consciousness involuntarily from the blow. Both shoes had come off his feet. They still haven't been found. It's a total miracle that Elmeri wasn't injured very seriously or died, either. After a complete check-up, he was able to leave the hospital. The injuries are superficial bruises and the ligaments of the right thumb are stretched.

"Ari was very badly injured. He is now receiving the best care possible at OU Hospital in Oklahoma City. He has undergone numerous surgeries and will have to undergo several more in the coming days. At the moment, he has had his right leg amputated below the knee. The situation is also very uncertain with the fingers of his left hand. The doctors are doing everything to save the fingers, because he is left-handed. In addition, all his ribs are splintered, cervical vertebrae, broken clavicles, possibly also serious damage to the shoulders, but he is alive and not paralyzed or brain-damaged.

"Ari's recovery is now the most important thing. He and his wife Laura need all of our support now. The racing equipment survived the accident surprisingly well. After the Chicago race we made a lot of good improvements so that we could also show how fast our bike is. Expectations were high and the feeling was great. Our team will need a lot of support so that we can participate in the two remaining races."