Former Funny Car racer turned crew chief Jim Head has a good handle on tuning a nitro engine, but the special medical box attached to his hip is another challenge.

"This line puts the antibiotics in," Head explained, pointing to the plastic line feeding a clear fluid into a medical boot on his right foot. "Two hours before I put them in my body I have to get them out of the refrigerator. Every six hours, that means and were talking the middle of the night. If you didn't have a smart phone, this isn't doable."

Former Funny Car racer turned crew chief Jim Head has a good handle on tuning a nitro engine, but the special medical box attached to his hip is another challenge.

"This line puts the antibiotics in," Head explained, pointing to the plastic line feeding a clear fluid into a medical boot on his right foot. "Two hours before I put them in my body I have to get them out of the refrigerator. Every six hours, that means and were talking the middle of the night. If you didn't have a smart phone, this isn't doable."

One line removes the discharge fluid from his injured foot and the other replaces it with antibiotics to fight the infection caused by the accident which created the situation.

Head was vacationing on the Turks and Caicos Islands, located 550 miles southeast of Miami, Florida, just below the Bahamas chain and just to the east of Cuba. During his time on the island Head injured his foot. The unfortunate incident set in motion a chain of events which led to a hospital stay and caused him to miss the NHRA Toyota Nationals in Las Vegas. It also limited his mobility to a knee walker.

"There is a ferry six times a day to the big island where they have all the stuff women like, that I don't like," Head explained. "So she takes a ferry in the morning and just comes back in the afternoon after she's done whatever she does over there. She never spends the night.

"So, She goes over there and misses the ferry. I'm working on my boat and it's five o'clock. I've got an hour and a half before it is dark. It is about a half-hour jet ski ride so I get out in the ocean."

Head encounters rougher waters than he anticipated and faced another challenge.

"The jet ski quit," Head said. "I get it up on the beach, working on it and a big wave comes, not just a big wave, but a roller comes, and I am trying to manhandle the jet-ski as the roller is coming. It floats up and just came crashing down on my foot. Now I am laying under the jet ski, high and dry, and I pulled it out from under the jet-ski and wounded it a little bit. It bled a little bit."

Head made his way back to his cabin, and hours later his foot showed evidence that there was trouble in paradise.

“It swelled up black, like a bruise," Head said. "Four days later it went down, and I am walking. It looks good. This foot looked almost like my other except for some bad scrapes. 24 hours later it turned red. When it turned red, I knew what it was. Got on my airplane, came home and drove myself to the emergency room."

The foot had developed a staph infection.

"I laid there for three days [in the hospital], and that ain't good," Head said with a serious look on his face. "The staph infection was just going crazy. I came in on Friday and they operated 4 PM on Monday, but by the time they operated the infection had pretty well had its way with my foot."

Head confirmed the doctors cut a chunk of infected flesh from his foot.

"They got all the infection out," Head said. "That killed the infection, but the problem is there was some still lingering in the bone. In six months, they are going to operate again. It is nothing to be happy about. It is getting better. It's doing good. But, when that infection gets in the bone it is very difficult to get out."

Head said the doctors didn't foresee any problems with a visit to the race track while he recovers, as long as he plays by their rules.

"I have to get this dressing changed every four days," said Head. "It's not a structural problem. It's just meat. It didn't break any bones, which is a good thing."

Head believes sea shells lodged between his foot and the jet-ski caused the initial flesh wounds.

"You ought to see the pictures," said Head, who received a polite 'no thank you' from CompetitionPlus.com. "I got pictures that would make you sick. Every time we see it we take pictures, because I've got a buddy that's a doctor and he wants to know what's going on with my foot. He's in Manhattan. And, when this goes to hell I'm going to Manhattan because my buddy will fix me. He's good."

In Pomona, Head showed off his prowess with a knee walker. He's even considered challenging a few of his peers, if only to satisfy his competitive spirit.

“It would be fun," Head said. "Put an engine on them and you could be going 30 mph by the time you get to the eighth-mile mark."

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