Peter Brock Dead – Another Aussie Icon Gone
September 9, 2006 by staralicious
Filed under News
Well it has been a pretty bad week for Aussies. Two Icons of Australia were killed this week, both doing what they love most. After Steve Irwins tragic death earlier in the week, yesterday saw the king of Australian motorsport kiiled in a racing accident in Western Australia during a special stage of the Targa West rally near Perth.
His AC Cobra Daytona Coupe had collided with a tree at extremely high race speeds. His co-driver, Mick Hone, was injured but survived the impact.
The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport, which helps to organise the rally, released a statement shortly after 3.30pm (AEST).
“With great sadness, CAMS advises that Peter Brock, Australian motor racing legend, has today died in an accident during Targa West, a tarmac special stage rally being conducted near Perth, Western Australia,” it read.
Brock, 61, lost control of his car during the third special stage of the day at Gidgegannup, 40km north east of Perth, at 2.50pm (AEST).
Eyewitnesses said Brock “lost it” on a sharp corner during the stage before striking the tree.
“The back end just slid out and that was it, it was all over,” one eyewitness said.
“The car didn’t roll, the back end just slid out from behind him and slammed straight into a tree and it got him right in the driver’s door.”
Spectator Tony Varass said it was believed motorcyclists had also been killed near the same hairpin in the past.
“The owner of this property that I’m at, Bob Watson, has been trying to get something done about the corner for a long time,” Varass told Sky News.
“He says this is a very dangerous corner.”
Varass said he was within 10 metres of the tree Brock’s car crashed into.
The road was moist and it had been drizzling with rain, he said.
“The car went around the corner, he was going no faster than anybody else, and in control and it just slipped off the road and straight into the tree,” he said.
“It was just one of those things – motor racing.”
Asked if he thought Brock had died instantly, Varass replied: “No. I was there within a minute and I really didn’t give him any hope at all.”
Brock, whose was known as “Peter Perfect” such was his driving prowess, became a motor sports legend in Australia after winning the nation’s signature motor race, the Bathurst 1000, a record nine times.
[tags]Peter Brock, dead, motor racing[/tags]
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