Ask anyone on a racetrack why they like to race there, and most likely you’ll hear the word «adrenaline» in all or most of the answers they give you. And an Australian Formula Vee driver named Kathy Lisson had enough of her – at least – to stay calm for the next ten years.
The extraordinary accident occurred at the Barbagallo Raceway , which is located on the outskirts of Perth, in southwest Australia. A GoPro camera mounted on the Lisson cart shows the group of vehicles that decelerates just before a turn. A few seconds before the impact.
The pilot fails to stop in time, star one of his front wheels in the car in front. Not a strong impact, but in itself is enough to raise it through the air in a couple of turns of bell. These are ultralight models, powered by a 1,200cc engine. Lisson turned, hit his head against the pavement, and stopped at the side of the track. Miraculously, he came out with only a sore throat and a few bruises. It could have been much, much worse.
«I remember thinking, ‘Oh, I’m in the air’ and then just the noise of the blows. It all happens very quickly,» Lisson told Australian television 9News, according to a Motorsport report .
Rod Lisson, the husband of the pilot, competed in the same race with a car powered by a larger 1,600cc engine. He watched in horror as the scene unfolded in front of him. He said he made a huge impact when he saw his wife’s car fly through the air like a soccer ball.
The images taken by the car in front of Lisson show the accident from a different angle. It is the type of accidents that sometimes we see in television, and that often they often end in tragedy. The fact that Lisson could get out of his car without serious injuries and on his own foot is a testament to how important the safety team is in all types of races, from entry level events such as Formula Vee to the first Category, such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans .
