Teen driver Peter Vodanovich had his Bathurst 1000 race weekend cut short when he was involved in a dramatic crash, sending his Toyota 86 end-over-end. Although shaken up, the young driver walked away from the wreck.
The 18-year old New Zealander was approaching the final lap of the support race when the crash happened. He was trying to make a move on the outside of the pack when he clipped another car. Rather than just spin out, his car was thrown into the air and began flipping several times before coming to a rest on its roof.
As a testament to the level of safety equipment that even amateur racers have in their cars, Vodanovich walked away from the crash after being extracted by the rescue crew. He recognized his mistake after the race, saying, “I thought I had a move around the outside, which obviously wasn’t there.”
“I’m all good,” he added. “The safety crew and all of the medical crew did a great job at making sure I was OK. I’m just very thankful that they were there to help out.”
Vodanovich was taken back by the wreck, but said he was able to remember it all. As bad as it looked, the accident won’t stop the teen from racing in the future. He’s regarded as one of the best young talents in New Zealand and hopefully has a long career ahead of him. In the racer’s own words: “I’ll be out there sometime soon. Probably not tomorrow, but you’ll see me out there again.”