Potential changes to the iconic Bathurst track may be on the table after Stephen Grove’s back-breaking crash at this year’s Bathurst 12 Hour race, the most recent in a haul of close calls.
Grove’s car flipped airborne at Mount Panorama’s Skyline after contact with Kenny Habul’s Mercedes-AMG GT3, causing him to careen head-first into the concrete barriers.
The veteran racer was running eighth overall in the international endurance race but did not finish due to a fractured vertebrae. He was able to climb out of his car on his own volition but was taken to hospital for further scans.
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Speaking to Speedcafe.com, Grove admitted that “just the speed of the car, especially up there, to get airborne and go over there would be a disaster for everybody – not just the driver, the medics trying to get to you, the rescue crew trying to get the car back out.”
Mount Panorama is a mainstay in Australian motorsport, annually hosting the premier Supercars race Bathurst 1000 and international Bathurst 12 Hour.
Close calls with the circuit have created pressure on the Bathurst Regional Council to protect both drivers and spectators, but fans often argue the changes may cause the beloved track to lose its exhilarating thrill.
A general view of Skyline during the Bathurst 1000, part of the 2023 Supercars Championship Series at Mount Panorama on October 08, 2023 in Bathurst, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images) Getty
This is not the only crash of its nature, Walkinshaw Andretti United Supercars driver Chaz Mostert flew into the same concrete barrier in Bathurst 1000 qualifying in 2015, his crash sparking discussion about changing the layout of the raised area of the track as well.
Mostert suffered a broken femur alongside wrist and knee injuries in the 50G crash, five marshals were also injured as a result of his car taking out a flag point.
Safety has been an issue at Bathurst. Getty
In 2023, MARC car driver Keith Kassulke flipped and crashed airborne into barriers eerily close to spectators at The Chase during Bathurst 12 Hour practice.
In immediate response to this, the circuit installed temporary, six-foot cyclone fencing to remain in compliance with the FIA’s licencing requirements for the endurance race.
This discussion comes in the wake of governing body Motorsport Australia looking to improve safety in both grassroots and high-level Australian motorsport, the organisation recently sending out their 16-page improved concussion protocol in February to all members.
In preparation for this year’s 1000 race in October, Motorsport Australia and Bathurst Regional Council have looked at the track’s layout in terms of safety and continuing to stay within FIA regulations.
Wide World of Sports approached Motorsport Australia for comment.
