I saw a Ferrari Crash at 180km/h!
As some of you know, I have been getting into my car racing. I need to get my full national racing license by the end of the year to be able to compete at Bathurst early next year. Part of that is doing a day of flag marschalling at an event. So I picked the Shannons National Championships at Phillip Island on Sat.
I was at flag point 1.2 on the first bend. This point is just slightly around turn one. Turn one at Phiilip Island is at the end of the straight and goes right. In some cars it is over 200km/h....and requires huge commitment.
Anyway, during the qualifying session, one of the lotus cars (car 99 - a Lotus Elise Motorsport 200) seem to have something wrong with its engine, and spun off into the gravel trap. I think he spun on his own oil. But i am not 100% sure. Anyway, the other lotus behind him had spun, but managed to avoid the gravel and kept going. Car 99 was stuck in the gravel....facing back up the straight.
Everyone was waving yellow flags, and an oil flag was just being put out when John Teulan in a Ferarri 430 GT started to spin. He went off the track at about 200km/h and barely slowed down before he hit the Lotus....approx impact speed would have been about 180km/h. The ferarri impacted on its right side (luck it was a left hand drive car) and hit the front end of the lotus. Both cars are write offs (i am assuming). The front end of the lotus was bscially squashed down 2 foot, and the wheels pushed right back into the doors. The Ferarri's right side woudl have gone almost to the driver on the left hand side, and ripped most of the floor out.
We were straight onto the radio, called the session off, and called for medical assistance straight away.
The guy in car 99 - the lotus...amazingly got out (with some assistance) and walked away...into the ambulance. The other guy, Teulan, in the Ferarri had to be lifted out and put in the ambulance. I heard later that the guy in the lotus had internal injuries, and was flown via helicopter back to Melbourne. John Tuelan was taken to hospital for observation.
I havn't heard any more yet, so if anyone has any info...please let me know.
BTW - no photos cause I was too busy...making sure the medical people got there fast.
I am actually amazed how well these cars stood up to the impact! With a 180km/h speed differential it is amazing they both got out of their cars in one piece! I hope they are ok now.
I was at flag point 1.2 on the first bend. This point is just slightly around turn one. Turn one at Phiilip Island is at the end of the straight and goes right. In some cars it is over 200km/h....and requires huge commitment.
Anyway, during the qualifying session, one of the lotus cars (car 99 - a Lotus Elise Motorsport 200) seem to have something wrong with its engine, and spun off into the gravel trap. I think he spun on his own oil. But i am not 100% sure. Anyway, the other lotus behind him had spun, but managed to avoid the gravel and kept going. Car 99 was stuck in the gravel....facing back up the straight.
Everyone was waving yellow flags, and an oil flag was just being put out when John Teulan in a Ferarri 430 GT started to spin. He went off the track at about 200km/h and barely slowed down before he hit the Lotus....approx impact speed would have been about 180km/h. The ferarri impacted on its right side (luck it was a left hand drive car) and hit the front end of the lotus. Both cars are write offs (i am assuming). The front end of the lotus was bscially squashed down 2 foot, and the wheels pushed right back into the doors. The Ferarri's right side woudl have gone almost to the driver on the left hand side, and ripped most of the floor out.
We were straight onto the radio, called the session off, and called for medical assistance straight away.
The guy in car 99 - the lotus...amazingly got out (with some assistance) and walked away...into the ambulance. The other guy, Teulan, in the Ferarri had to be lifted out and put in the ambulance. I heard later that the guy in the lotus had internal injuries, and was flown via helicopter back to Melbourne. John Tuelan was taken to hospital for observation.
I havn't heard any more yet, so if anyone has any info...please let me know.
BTW - no photos cause I was too busy...making sure the medical people got there fast.
I am actually amazed how well these cars stood up to the impact! With a 180km/h speed differential it is amazing they both got out of their cars in one piece! I hope they are ok now.
