MR2 Championship first race of season

[tonigmr2]

57 cars entered for two heats and a final on Sunday at Brands Hatch...should be a bit exciting.

[mr stock]

yeah!

[cartledge_uk]

Just heard arumour about a big crash. I hope its not true and everyones ok

[sloopeh]

i just got back looks like racing over for the day. rumour is true. massive accident between two cars on the first bend. one driver ok the other taken away after his car left the circuit into the spectator area and landed upside down.

at this point unsure on condition of driver or whether anyone was hit. although it happened right in front of me i was unable to see if anyone was in the path of the car.

overheard snippets of conversation at the track suggest everyone was able to get out of the way although unconfirmed.

[cartledge_uk]

i just got back looks like racing over for the day. rumour is true. massive accident between two cars on the first bend. one driver ok the other taken away after his car left the circuit into the spectator area and landed upside down.

at this point unsure on condition of driver or whether anyone was hit. although it happened right in front of me i was unable to see if anyone was in the path of the car.

overheard snippets of conversation at the track suggest everyone was able to get out of the way although unconfirmed.

Not good, hope they are ok.

[vix]

I hear it was Andrei Begatov, one of Rogues I think? Hope he recovers.

[ashley]

[ribbo]

happened just on the start finish not far from paddock hill, 3 cars on the start finish side by side compressed, the middle one stuck the anchors on to get out of the way and the two either side arrow like came together, into the armco, the red impacted very hard but the black (and yellow i think) got vaulted over the barrier where there was no fencing just to the right of the paddock hill grandstand.

The nose hit the secondary chainlink fence demolishing it and the car ended up on its roof on some very very wisely placed impact tyres (if they had not of been there it could have been so much worse). I saw a couple of marshalls dive out of the way and one stand frozen rabbit like as the car flew passed, people around me in the grandstand thought there were fatalities and a lot of shock.

I believe the driver left the circuit stabilised in an ambulance and not the medvac chopper, my heart goes out to the driver and the family/friends in the paddock, I've seen some accidents but this is far and away the worst and i wish never to see another like it again, the Marshalls and the emergency services were amazing.

Racing did get back underway and finished with a really good MR2 race, i've not seen any mr2 races since the first season! some great grid numbers!!

[oddshoes]

It wasnt a nice accident and to see but glad the driver seems ok, there was some great racing there today tho it looks like there might be 4 -6 mr2s that I would say are going to have to replaced.

I saw you Toni down in the rogue end and the mk3 looks lovely


Dave

[ribbo]

further information here :

http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthr ... 785&page=2

and here :

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topi ... on+here%3F

[Quigonjay]

sounds like a horrific accident, hope andrei is ok

[Rowland]

Good grief, I can hardly believe the video footage uploaded to youtube of the incident this evening.

I wish Andrei the very best for a quick recovery.

[Quigonjay]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLC1Vw9klss

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smlXk_Iwgsc

[Rowland]

Motorsport can be dangerous...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GoSaC05V3Q

[ribbo]

Motorsport can be dangerous...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GoSaC05V3Q

yeah, not good, i must admit, i dont remember the cars rolling along the catch fencing for so long!!

[tonigmr2]

It was a pretty nasty accident. But last we heard both drivers are OK.

Red car driver only had a bruise on his hand!
Andrei had a head injury so was taken to hospital, where apparently he is going to be OK.

But yes, worst I've ever seen. Testament to the MR2s and the rollcages and safety features that nothing worse happened. Main thing is both drivers are going to be OK. It was a bit of a freaky one though.


My weekend was a bit mixed, had the new coilovers on and found it difficult to drive (first time in it, was a big ask to go straight into racing!). But I still had some fun racing, went from 23rd to 13th (at one point was 10th, but pesky MK2s are quicker on the straights, LOL).

[Charged]

It was pretty sickeneing to watch and I'm so glad everyone involved was ok. I and I think a lot of people immediately thought fatalites. It was a huge impact. The whole place went eerily quiet afterwards as well.
Could have been a lot worse though.

I would have been nice for some more information for the spectators and competitors at the time though, the tannoy just went silent. I didn't know until reading this that everyone was OK!

[tonigmr2]

Must admit the information went very quiet on the public tannoy, but tbf they probably didn't know at that point. We had a driver's briefing later on where they said he was sitting up in bed talking and was largely OK.

Big relief, they must have left the circuit at over 100mph. But a very freaky and not to be repeated accident I think!

[Charged]

I think any info would have been well received.. even just to say no fatalities, driver off to hospital.

The championship certainly started with a bang! Enjoyable day though despite the sobering end. Nice to see you T albeit briefly!

[MartG]

Testament to the strength of the cars that neither driver was badly hurt. Just pure luck that no-one trackside was in the way though