- V8 driver Conor Somers had a lucky break on Saturday
- I was competing in qualifying for the Townsville 500
- He lost control of the Porsche after a collision with Ross McGregor
Porsche driver Conor Somers escaped unhurt after his car was thrown into the air and rolled at high speed during qualifying for the Townsville 500 on Saturday.
A collision with Ross McGregor on a blind corner sent Somers’ Porsche 911 into a concrete barricade.
He then rolled over several times, leaving fans fearing the worst.
Somers was uninjured in the crash and crawled out the driver’s side window with his battered car coming to a rest on its roof. News Corporation reported.
Fans at the track also had to duck for cover as debris spilled everywhere through a gap in the fence.
“It’s phenomenal. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything like that in a Cup car, to come out like that. It was like a single-seater,” said Fox Sports commentator Richard Craill.
‘Going into the corner I was on the outside of McGregor and that sent the car flying through the air.’
The accident occurred just after the train tracks at the Reid Park circuit, with Turn 10 being a notorious accident hazard.
Porsche driver Conor Somers escaped unhurt after his car became airborne and rolled at high speed during qualifying for the Townsville 500 on Saturday.
Conor Somers (right) was unhurt in the crash that occurred after a collision with Ross McGregor at the Reid Park circuit.
“Once you get past Turn Eight, Turn Nine and approaching Turn 10, which is a very fast blind corner,” V8 Supercars legend Craig Lowndes said on Fox Sports.
“There was a collision between two vehicles. It was a very strong impact to move those concrete barriers… it’s an enormous force.”
Somers had recorded the fifth fastest time in qualifying on his first visit to Townsville.
In the end, the session was suspended and the damaged barrier was quickly replaced.
Race 13, the first 88-lap race of the weekend, will begin at 2:40 p.m.