Drag racing is a sport on the edge, not just of public awareness, but also on the edge of what’s physically possible. Only at that edge would a car split in half and fly through the air in pieces, seemingly caused only by an excess of speed. Phil Lamattina was the driver in this car, at a drag racing event at Willowbank Raceway in Australia. Here’s another view from a spectator:
Amazingly, he reportedly stayed conscious through the whole crash (as scary as it sounds, it’s much more encouraging, health-wise), and his family released a statement with news as encouraging as one could hope:
“The Lamattina family would like to advise that Phil is currently in hospital after suffering a shattered vertebrae in today’s racing incident. Surgeons have advised that a full recovery is expected, and the team will keep everyone up to date with his progress over the coming days. The family thanks all for the well wishes and support.”
A shattered vertebrae is no picnic, but considering that the video of the crash screams INSTANT DEATH, we can all agree that Mr. Lamattina should be counting his blessings today. Drag racers are nuts.
(Via Willowbank Raceway)
