In response to bob's post just below, I ran across a story about Jim Pettit II, a Super Late model racer from out west.
Recently Jim was involved in a car fire while racing a the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. A slow responding track safety crew coupled with a HANS clip that wouldn't easily release on the right side of his helmet left Jim with severe smoke inhalation.
I wondered if Jim, a seasoned championship winning racer, practiced getting out of his racecar in an emergency. I'll bet he does.
But then I got to thinking - how many racers out there at the local level practice this simple life-saving task. All you need is a stop watch and somebody to time you. Get in full gear, strap in, have your friend hit the button on the watch and try to get out as fast as possible. Do it a second time and a third, each time trying to beat your best previous speed.
With all of the safety equipment and full containment seats let's not forget the importance of exiting the car quickly in the event of a fire.