A DRAMATIC video shows the moment Sir Chris Hoy narrowly escaped serious injury during a car race after part of the vehicle in front exploded at 100mph.
The former Olympic cycling champion was showered with debris after a mudguard broke apart mid-race.
Chunks of the shattered mudguard can be see whizzing past close to Sir Chris’s head during the Caterham Championship at Oulton Park, Cheshire, on Saturday.
Sir Chris, who recently posted a video of him spinning off the track at Brands Hatch, posted the new clip with the title: “When mudguards attack….”
At the start of the frightening clip Sir Chris is seen travelling behind another car as they both approach an uphill bend.
Travelling around the left hand corner, in speeds appraoching 100mph and above both vehicles pass under a sponsored fly-over.
As they both exit the corner, the Caterham travelling infront appears to have its right rear mudguard explode.
The blown mudguard sends huge chunks of debris straight towards Sir Chris who is forced to duck out of the way.
Competing in a £30,000 Caterham Seven 310R – a purpose built racing machine with no windscreen or roof – the debris could have pierced through Sir Chris’s helmet visor or hit his exposed body.
In 2009 current Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa was knocked unconcious and left with a fractured skull during qualifying at the Hungarian grand prix when a spring from the car infront hit became detached and struck him on the head as he reached 175mph.
In another incident, the son of the late motorsport legend Henry Surtees was killed in 2009 after debris, also from a car travelling infront, hit him on the head.
18 year-old John Surtees died at Brands Hatch racing circuit in Kent whilst competing in the Formula Two championshipin when a tyre from the car of rival competitor Jack Clarke, who had spun into the wall exiting Westfield hit him.
The incidents have prompted the motorsport governing body, the FIA, to introduce the “Halo” – a protective bar around F1 drivers’ cockpits – to improve safety for competitors.
Writing on social media, dieselpeitz said: “Crikey!! The halo wouldn’t do much there!”
shai314159 said: “I take mudguards any day over a spring… well done avoiding it.”
@CarSnapped commented: “One way to lose some weight to stop you catching him…..”
