FLASHBACK: Raging inferno at Barbagallo Raceway in 2011 | Supercars 2020
Thankfully, massive accidents in the Supercars Championship are few and far between but it’s impossible not to instantly remember the 2011 event and a fireball incident that was broadcast around the world. Starting from 13th on the grid, Reindler’s Fair Dinkum Sheds Commodore was stranded on the line with clutch problems and Owen’s VIP Petfoods Holden – which started back in 25thon the grid – ploughed into it unsighted at full throttle and approximately 150km/h. The massive hit launched Reindler’s car into the air and instantly into flames as it spundown the road, while Owen’s car came to an immediate stop and was engulfed inflames as well. Both drivers escaped the scary moment with no life-threatening injuries – Reindler suffered superficial burns to his hand and face while Owen reported abdominal soreness from the 37G impact. Reindler had been having a strong weekend on his home track, qualifying sixth and finishing seventh in the Saturday race – and then it all went wrong. “I loaded the clutch up and it stalled,” he said of the accident. “I had my foot all the way down; I didn’t even release the clutch. I couldn’t get it going at all. There was nothing I could do. Before I knew it I saw flames inside the car. I guess I panicked and tried to get out as quick as I could.” Amazingly, neither driver missed an event and Owen’s car itself was repaired in time for the next round at Winton, while Reindler moved into a spare chassis after seeking treatment for his burns. So – what happened to the cars involved in one of the most spectacular accidents in V8 Supercar history? Amazingly,Owen’s ex-VIP Petfoods car will be right under everyone’s noses this weekend at Barbagallo in the Dunlop Series. Now run as the#38 entry in the development category by Eggleston Motorsport and Marque Management and driven by Daniel Gaunt, the car has had a few different liveries since that day at Barbagallo in 2011. Originally built by the Holden Racing Team in 2007, the car (chassis number 005) debutedwith a special victory at Eastern Creek by Mark Skaife – the result tying himat the time with the late Peter Brock for most ATCC/V8SC round wins. Cameron McConville drove it as the #14 WOW car for BJR in 2008 and finished third inthat year’s Clipsal 500 before Brad Jones and Max Wilson took it to fifth placein the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000. McConville again drove it in 2009 before Brad Jones made his final Bathurst start in italongside nephew Andrew later that year. It became Jason Bright’s #14 Trading Post car for the first half of 2010 before becoming Reindler’s car in 2011. After the massive Barbagallo accident, the chassis was stripped with some parts salvageable and the bare shell now sits on a rack at the Brad Jones Racing workshop in Albury – but with a future plan to restore it to Skaife/HRT firmly in mind. “It’s sitting up here on a rack in the workshop just waiting for us to have time to turn it back into Mark Skaife’s winning HRT car,” BJR Team Manager Chris Clark told our V8 Sleuth this week. “We’ve got plenty of stuff here to rebuild that car. We run two DVS cars anyway and have another car here as well that is almost complete and we have the capability of making whatever we want and need because we used to anyway. If there was something missing we could manufacturer it in-house to finish it off. “After the crash we were able to get a few things out of the car. The front uprights were OK, the engine got a bit burnt but the mechanical side of the engine was all right. “Everything inside is gone – the looms, interior, seat and the like were all burned. There’s damage that’s gone up into the cross (member) in the back area as well and there was flame damage to all of the panels, which were Kevlar, so they are all gone too. The Virgin Australia Supercars Championship (formally Australian Touring Car Championship) is the premier motorsport category in Australasia and one of Australia’s biggest sports. Globally, it is recognised as the best touring car category in the world and a leader in motorsport entertainment. Read, watch and learn more at https://www.supercars.com Like Supercars on Facebook: / supercars Follow Supercars on Twitter: / supercars Follow Supercars on Instagram: / supercarschampionship Purchase Tickets: https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows... New Videos every FRIDAY! | Get your heart racing! #VASC #Supercars #flashbacks
