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THE MINI MAG. Volume 2 No.11 / 12 |  |
 November / December 2000Vol.2 Home Page | Index Page |
This picture shows the remains of David Carter’s lightweight Mini after a spectacular crash at Lakeside Raceway in 1968. The following report from Racing Car News of September 1968 is headed “Sports Closed for Disasters”.The first event of the “flying coffins” brigade was planned to run for eight laps. However, a monumental disaster caused the red flag to go out after only one lap. Manticas had headed the John French GTA off the line, just clear of Joe Camilleri in the Cooper S. A close bunch followed, just headed by Littlemore, with Brian Scoffell, Carter and Kenny close up. The lightweight Mini of David Carter rocketed past the low top Mini of Scoffell in the straight, trying the very tight line through the elbow at a good 110mph on the inside of the Littlemore S. They could not fit, of course, Carter first giving the Littlemore car a slight tail nudge to send it in to a full slide across its path. Carter collected it again in mid-air, both cars going over with incredible noises. Carter lost a door when some ten feet in the air, his torso hanging in and out of the wreckage in poses of indecision as the seat harness really did its share of saving his bones. Scoffell found his way under / between the two Minis as they parted company and Ian Kenny must have torn a few leg muscles as he halted the Anglia in some thirty yards to stop short of the wreckage. Then Mrs Carter, who saw it all from the top of a post in the pits, gave it all away with a crashing faint to the ground. Call one Doctor and another ambulance! What happened to the drivers? Just a few cuts and bruises – but, holey moley, when will roll bars become law in these lightweight shells! The race was naturally abandoned, awards going to Manticas, French and Camilleri. |