New onboards of Bend start-line crash revealed
Note: Viewer discretion is advised.
Dramatic new onboard vision from the scary Race 22 start-line crash at The Bend has been revealed.
Thomas Randle and Andre Heimgartner escaped a scary incident on July 31.
Both drivers were hospitalised after the 38g impact, with Randle's stalled car collected by Heimgartner.
The incident has been detailed in a forthcoming documentary produced by AirTime Media.
The documentary delves into the dramatic incident, which red-flagged the race.
It will be released on Supercars.com and Supercars' official YouTube channel next week.
It includes never-before-seen judicial footage from the cars of Heimgartner and David Reynolds.
Heimgartner onboard
Heimgartner’s car was written off in the crash, with the Kiwi reverting to a spare BJR chassis.
Randle will race the spare Tickford chassis Zak Best campaigned at The Bend.
The footage reveals just how little time Heimgartner had to react.
Heimgartner was unsighted behind Reynolds’ teammate Lee Holdsworth, who started just ahead.
The documentary supplements the Heimgartner vision with onboard footage from Reynolds’ car.
Randle qualified a career-best second for Race 22, and stalled on the grid.
Reynolds started 13th, with Heimgartner one row ahead in 12th.
Reynolds onboard
Holdsworth and Mark Winterbottom both avoided Randle, who was revealed to an unsuspecting Heimgartner.
Heimgartner veered into the path of Reynolds' Penrite Ford after impact.
Randle, meanwhile, was knocked into the path of Nick Percat, whose car sustained enough damage to put him out of the race.
"I don't think there was much more we could have done," Heimgartner says.
"I've watched the onboard from my camera a few times.
"When I was driving down there, I had Lee Holdsworth and [Winterbottom]... they both starting going in opposite directions.
"I couldn't see through them, because they were overlapped.
"The car in front of Lee swerved last minute to avoid Randle, and then Lee luckily managed to get past him.
"It had the effect of appearing Tom Randle's car in front of me.
"It was pretty scary. I was totally not expecting it."
Randle and Heimgartner were taken to hospital for precautionary scans, and later cleared of injury.
Several flag marshals were stationed on pit wall, in line with each row of the grid.
Marshals waved yellow flags citing Randle had stalled, but Heimgartner had little to no time to avoid impact.
Both drivers opened up in the documentary, saying they were working with Supercars to avoid a repeat of the incident.
Cars are fitted with an in-car warning light to indicate a stalled vehicle.
The 2022 season will resume at Sandown on August 19-21. Purchase your tickets now.
