Driver Critically Injured In Support Race Accident
A 27-year-old race driver was in critical condition Saturday after he crashed into a concrete barrier during a support race on the V8 Supercar program.
Ashley Cooper was given an emergency tracheotomy on site to help him breathe before being rushed to the hospital, reported The Sunday Times.
Race officials said Cooper, who is married with two young children, suffered from severe head trauma, swelling of the brain and internal injuries following the accident on the 11th lap of the second and final series race of the weekend.
According to the Australian Associated Press, Cooper remains on life support at Royal Adelaide Hospital after the high-speed wreck. His wife Casey has flown from their home to be at his bedside.
Cooper made heavy, side-on contact with a safety barrier at the eighth turn. The initial contact was to the driver’s side of the vehicle before the car veered across the track and hit the opposite wall with the rear-end.
V8 Supercars chief executive Wayne Cattach told The Sunday Times that the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) would “carry out a full and thorough investigation as a matter of course”.
Cattach also said it was doubtful safety issues concerning turn eight, where a number of accidents had happened over the years, were a factor in the serious nature of the crash.
“It’s a fast corner, no question … but it meets all the design requirements of FIA (International Automobile Federation),” said Cattach.
“We have absolute confidence in the way the barriers have been put together.”
It is the second serious accident in less than two years in the V8 support series.
In October 2006, New Zealand driver Mark Porter was killed following an accident during the Bathurst 1000. He was 32.
Cooper, the 2006 V8 Utes rookie of the year, made his Fujitsu series debut in 2007.