Photo: Positive Images

Ross survived carnage at Pukekohe

16 years ago

Not even one of the biggest crashes ever seen at Pukekohe Park Raceway was enough to keep a good man down as Nick Ross reflects on how he thought his race weekend and perhaps the remainder of the season was over.
“I couldn’t believe it, the car was dragged back to the tent and I thought it was all over. We were told there was a two hour delay while the track was repaired and the boys pulled the car apart and at the end of the break,

“With seconds to spare, it was all back together ready to race!” exclaimed an ecstatic Nick Ross.

Nick Ross was part of the news headline crash which unfolded very quickly before his very eyes at the start of the second BNT V8s race.

A seven car pile up at turn one caused a halt to all proceedings for two hours while the cars and debri were cleared as well as the armco safety barrier having to be completely repaired.

“If it wasn’t for those guys I wouldn’t be racing – at Pukekohe or anywhere for that matter, and the same with my sponsors who are always there to keep us going.” he said.

Fortunately nobody was seriously injured in the accident which saw two cars fly high up into the air with one sliding along the top of and another going all the way over the reinforced safety railing.

Concept Motorsport driver Nick Ross was caught right in the middle of the affair.

“There was some contact ahead of me and Cam Hardy veered off to the right and bounced off the inside wall.”

“I couldn’t stop because I had the whole bunch of cars right up behind me so I kept my foot up and tried to go to the left but his bounce was faster than my go!”

“He got me which pushed me into Dave Stewart but because I was one of the first I mostly got pushed away from the accident and was left bouncing down the armco.”

“It didn’t hurt or anything but it was gutting. We only got the car back from the panel beaters on the previous Friday after receiving damage from the first round at Taupo.”