On Saturday, racing in the Masters Pre 1966 Historic Touring Car race, in my BMW 1800 Ti, I started the race in first position on the grid after my brilliant co-driver, Paul Taft and I got pole in qualifying. I had just completed the first lap, and as I came down the end of the Brabham Straight, braking from 110mph to 75mph, I turned into Paddock corner. An idiot in a Lotus Cortina tried to cut inside me, when I was already almost about to clip the apex, and the front of his car hit the back of mine – a classic manoeuvre in car chases if you want to flip the car you are pursuing over. It knocked me sideways at the start of the downhill section of paddock and from that moment I became a passenger…. saw sky, grass, tarmac, bits of metal flying everywhere, then gravel. The car ended up on its wheels and I thought, “hmmmn, this is not a good place to be!” I could not get out my door, which was jammed but managed to open the passenger door just as the marshalls arrived.
I was ambulanced to Darent Valley Hospital trauma unit and checked over. Have cracked ribs and bruised spleen – and dented ego!!!!
But hey ho, at least if showed my car’s safety cage and harness worked!!!!!
And don’t be surprised if there is a new villain in a future Roy Grace book – driving a Lotus Cortina with the No 82 on the side. I have terrible things planned for him….
