Carron driver safe after 125mph wall smash horror

Racer Christie Doran ended up battered and bruised after a massive 125mph accident in her opening race of the season.
Christie was in action at Rockingham. Pic by Lewis Houghton.Christie was in action at Rockingham. Pic by Lewis Houghton.
Christie was in action at Rockingham. Pic by Lewis Houghton.

The Falkirk 21-year-old slammed into the famous concrete wall at Rockingham leaving her dazed but relieved that the safety systems in the Slidesports Race Engineering car had done their jobs.

The horror smash ended her weekend in the VAG Trophy but now she also faces a race against time in a bid to get the car fixed in time for the next round at Snetterton.

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Christie said: “It was certainly not how I wanted the weekend to go. The race had been a bit chaotic at the start but I had gone from 16th overall to sixth on the first lap and taken the Class B lead.

Christie Doran. Pic by Lewis HoughtonChristie Doran. Pic by Lewis Houghton
Christie Doran. Pic by Lewis Houghton

“Then I got hit which pushed me on to the grass and suddenly I was down three places and second in Class B. It was full recovery mode from there. I was five seconds down, but clawed it back to two seconds as I clocked the fastest Class B lap of the race.

“There were just a couple of minutes to go and I felt I could still push for the win. Unfortunately, I spotted a faster A-Class car in my mirrors as I approached Turn One on the banking at 125mph. That split-second glance meant I fractionally missed the point when I had to turn the car in. That put me higher up the banking than I should have been and the car just would not turn.

“It was a huge impact. I hit the wall at least twice and ended up about three hundred yards further down the track. The marshals and medical unit did a great job to get me out but I was more shaken up than anything else.

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“Then when I saw the car I just felt so bad for the Slidesports guys. They had given me a superb car and we had been having a great weekend up to that point. Now we have to get it fixed – which will not be cheap - and hope that it will be in time for the next round.”

Christie with racing boss Stewart LinesChristie with racing boss Stewart Lines
Christie with racing boss Stewart Lines

Christie – who is part of the Macdonald Inchyra Hotel and Spa programme to support young local talent and backed by Advance Construction Scotland and Complete Cleaning – headed back to Scotland determined to get her season back on track as soon as possible.

She said: “It was a horrible way for the weekend to go. We had been really quick in testing. I had been on provisional Class B pole for much of qualifying but was pipped by three tenths of a second right at the end. Then a podium was 
definitely on the cards in the race.”

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