[Fasterthanyou]

Sounds a lot like the pump is dead. Being low on fluid is death to these hydralic pumps. With trapped air the vanes start to wear hardcore and if one comes out the rest will follow.
No plugs and wires having nothing to do with the steering and they wouldn't (shouldn't) have touched them. By doing donuts you're near redline and turning the steering back and forth. Sometimes **** happens, rare, but it does. Having low fluid just compounded that problem.
Just to be sure it isn't the rack, remove the sealing boots on the ends and check for fluid there. If there is a lot of fluid it's the rack seals, if it's not, it's the pump. Not to sound like I think you're an idiot, but is the pulley on the pump tight? Remove the belt and check that the pulley is on there really tight.