Create account | Log in as member
Create account | Log in as member
October 09, 2000
Tweet
TBA driver Chaz Charlton suffered a massive crash in warm-ups for the Suzuka Grand Prix in Japan this weekend.
Charlton was flat out approaching the Casio Chicane when, according to team sources, his steering column snapped leaving the driver helpless to control his car as it hurtled at top speed into the barriers. The car was totally destroyed and Charlton had to be dragged unconscious from the wreckage by the Suzuka marshals who were on the scene in moments.
The team remained very tight-lipped about both the cause of the column failure and Charlton's injuries but the paddock were astounded when he returned to the circuit on qualifying day and managed to climb into the cockpit of the teams spare car and put a time on the board!
When interviewed afterwards both the team and the driver refused to comment on the injuries sustained but the pain was evident on the face of Chaz after climbing from the cockpit after the qualifying lap. The only comment from Charlton was: "seeing as we don't have a test driver at the moment I wasn't about to let a car sit idle in the garage when the team had put so much effort into the season - it wasn't my fault the bloody steering wheel came off in my hands."
It was at this point that the teams press officer intervened stating that it was a steering column failure and not driver error which caused the crash and investigations were underway.
Commenting on his own below-par performance, Ruud Nanne commented that the crash had made him 'seriously question' the handling of the car which was reflected in his own qualifying time at one of his favourite racing venues. Nanne, consistently fast in the first two races of the season seems unable to throw off the jinx he picked up in Melbourne - the team is now jokingly known in the paddock as the team Johnny Herbert could have joined to improve their luck.
Charlton is said to be receiving personal treatment from a specialist flown in from Sweden. When asked about Charltons injuries, Miss Jacobssen, a 6'2 blonde stunner simply stated that Charlton hadn't lost any of his energy and was having regular leg and pelvic exercises several times daily.
Charlton was flat out approaching the Casio Chicane when, according to team sources, his steering column snapped leaving the driver helpless to control his car as it hurtled at top speed into the barriers. The car was totally destroyed and Charlton had to be dragged unconscious from the wreckage by the Suzuka marshals who were on the scene in moments.
The team remained very tight-lipped about both the cause of the column failure and Charlton's injuries but the paddock were astounded when he returned to the circuit on qualifying day and managed to climb into the cockpit of the teams spare car and put a time on the board!
When interviewed afterwards both the team and the driver refused to comment on the injuries sustained but the pain was evident on the face of Chaz after climbing from the cockpit after the qualifying lap. The only comment from Charlton was: "seeing as we don't have a test driver at the moment I wasn't about to let a car sit idle in the garage when the team had put so much effort into the season - it wasn't my fault the bloody steering wheel came off in my hands."
It was at this point that the teams press officer intervened stating that it was a steering column failure and not driver error which caused the crash and investigations were underway.
Commenting on his own below-par performance, Ruud Nanne commented that the crash had made him 'seriously question' the handling of the car which was reflected in his own qualifying time at one of his favourite racing venues. Nanne, consistently fast in the first two races of the season seems unable to throw off the jinx he picked up in Melbourne - the team is now jokingly known in the paddock as the team Johnny Herbert could have joined to improve their luck.
Charlton is said to be receiving personal treatment from a specialist flown in from Sweden. When asked about Charltons injuries, Miss Jacobssen, a 6'2 blonde stunner simply stated that Charlton hadn't lost any of his energy and was having regular leg and pelvic exercises several times daily.
Related texts:
© 2018 GPVWC Simracing Ltd | Privacy Policy