 |  |
Sometimes, race weekends don't always go to plan...
Our bank holiday weekend started well; a good days testing for Jordine, some good results for my cousins in their Super One Karting Championship and a reasonable couple of results for us on the Monday morning. In Q2 we'd finished 3rd in the field - the same position that we held in the overall Super National Championship table going into the weekend.
In Q3, however, things went downhill - literally. After a close battle with one of our fellow competitors all day, coming out of North-bend hairpin and feeling more competitive than ever, a racing incident began to unfold of which nobody was to blame. We made contact with each other meaning that the car turned sideways and gripped. As the two wheels lifted I realised I was nothing more than a passenger and sat tight as sky, then floor, then sky, then floor flashed before my eyes. It all happened in a matter of minutes, and the car was firmly planted on the floor before I could realise what had happened. After realising that it was so bright as the roof had come off, and a quick check that my legs and arms were still intact, I jumped out to let my supporters, and the rest of the crowd know that after all that, I was OK.
From what I can gather from videos, pictures, and peoples comments, the roll was pretty spectacular going end-over-end approximately 9 times and shedding all of it's panels. The integrity of the space frame and the roll cage, which still mostly resembled the mini cooper shape are a huge testament to Duncan and those who have worked to build my car - it could not have been safer or protected me any better - some may not have been as lucky, but I escaped with a bruised foot (an x-ray has revealed that there's nothing broken) and a stiff neck / shoulders. My helmet, belts and hans did an excellent job of protecting my head, neck and keeping me in the car too and I couldn't be more thankful that they stood up to the job they were intended to - and maybe now I'll be able to get that fancy Stilo I've had my eyes on :P
A quick look back on the car, and we've made the decision not to use the spaceframe or roll cage again as it is weakened in areas, but the engine runs with no smoke so we'll find a way of getting that into something new! The fact that the engine has survived is just another testament to how well built our car was.
A big thanks again to Duncan, for building me the safest and quickest car I've known, to mum, J, Linda and all my other supporters for looking out for and after me both before and since the accident, and to everyone else who has sent well wishes. I must also send my thanks to the marshalls, the medical and recovery crews and the management / organisers of the British Rallycross Championship who handled the situation excellently.
I've chosen not to share any pictures of the roll as it progressed - I'm not really sure it's appropriate - just know that I'm alright.
We're not sure on what our future plans are, or when we'll next be competing with that engine, but rest assured that this roll has not put me off, and I'll be back on the track as soon as possible :-)
Our bank holiday weekend started well; a good days testing for Jordine, some good results for my cousins in their Super One Karting Championship and a reasonable couple of results for us on the Monday morning. In Q2 we'd finished 3rd in the field - the same position that we held in the overall Super National Championship table going into the weekend.
In Q3, however, things went downhill - literally. After a close battle with one of our fellow competitors all day, coming out of North-bend hairpin and feeling more competitive than ever, a racing incident began to unfold of which nobody was to blame. We made contact with each other meaning that the car turned sideways and gripped. As the two wheels lifted I realised I was nothing more than a passenger and sat tight as sky, then floor, then sky, then floor flashed before my eyes. It all happened in a matter of minutes, and the car was firmly planted on the floor before I could realise what had happened. After realising that it was so bright as the roof had come off, and a quick check that my legs and arms were still intact, I jumped out to let my supporters, and the rest of the crowd know that after all that, I was OK.
From what I can gather from videos, pictures, and peoples comments, the roll was pretty spectacular going end-over-end approximately 9 times and shedding all of it's panels. The integrity of the space frame and the roll cage, which still mostly resembled the mini cooper shape are a huge testament to Duncan and those who have worked to build my car - it could not have been safer or protected me any better - some may not have been as lucky, but I escaped with a bruised foot (an x-ray has revealed that there's nothing broken) and a stiff neck / shoulders. My helmet, belts and hans did an excellent job of protecting my head, neck and keeping me in the car too and I couldn't be more thankful that they stood up to the job they were intended to - and maybe now I'll be able to get that fancy Stilo I've had my eyes on :P
A quick look back on the car, and we've made the decision not to use the spaceframe or roll cage again as it is weakened in areas, but the engine runs with no smoke so we'll find a way of getting that into something new! The fact that the engine has survived is just another testament to how well built our car was.
A big thanks again to Duncan, for building me the safest and quickest car I've known, to mum, J, Linda and all my other supporters for looking out for and after me both before and since the accident, and to everyone else who has sent well wishes. I must also send my thanks to the marshalls, the medical and recovery crews and the management / organisers of the British Rallycross Championship who handled the situation excellently.
I've chosen not to share any pictures of the roll as it progressed - I'm not really sure it's appropriate - just know that I'm alright.
We're not sure on what our future plans are, or when we'll next be competing with that engine, but rest assured that this roll has not put me off, and I'll be back on the track as soon as possible :-)
RSS Feed