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<b>MAYDAY! MAYDAY!: </b> Rally driver Harry Kleinjan and navigator Bart den Hartog were lucky to have escaped the horrendous crash at the 2013 Hellendoorn Rally in the Netherlands. <i>Image: YOUTUBE</i>
Crashing is an unfortunate occupational hazard for motorsport competitors. Watch as rally driver Harry Kleinjan’s Porsche 911 RSR smashes into a concrete barrier. Worse, the car flipped through the air and crashed upside down into a canal!
Driver error, mechanical woes, environmental harzard… whatever the cause, crashing is an occupational hazard in any motorsport discipline.
Rally driver Harry Kleinjan smashed his Porsche 964 RSR into a barrier and ended up splashing down into a canal during the 2013 Hellendoorn Rally in the Netherlands.
Video: Kleinjan’s Porsche splashdown
The video shows Kleinjan and navigator Bart den Hartog careering - brakes locked - into a barrier, losing both left wheels in the process before performing a half-roll into the canal.
Judging by smoke before impact the brakes were hard on so it may have been a case of late or poorly judged braking or a jammed throttle. Perhaps poor pace notes? Or just plain panic.
BARRIERS TO BLAME?
YouTube users had mixed views about the crash
Apolukuchka said: “In the drift he lost his line into the second corner. That he continued to accelerate after 0:04 was a mistake and by 0:05 he was already in a state of understeer. It looks like he could have just throttled off and done a small feint drift, if only for the purpose of reducing speed in a controlled manner.”
Veloce1313 said: “If you're a racing driver you should have noticed that the throttle got stuck. Taking the foot off the brake would only have led to hitting the barrier at a higher speed because the Porsche would never have turned in at that speed.”
Shakkles01 said: “What you need to understand is that regardless of driver/vehicle fault, the barrier (BG800) was inadequate for this use. It’s anchorage was wrong and proximity to the lightpole is horrible, which led to the car overturning the barrier, clipping the light pole and then flipping.
“If the barrier was used correctly (i.e proper radii units), a minimum deflection anchorage used and if it was not placed so close to the light pole, then this accident could have been a lot less dangerous.”
Fortunately both crew were pulled ashore relatively unharmed.
Klenjan commented: “I have only one black eye and Bart just got cold.”
What do you think could have gone wrong? Email us and we’ll publish your thoughts on Wheels24.
Driver error, mechanical woes, environmental harzard… whatever the cause, crashing is an occupational hazard in any motorsport discipline.
Rally driver Harry Kleinjan smashed his Porsche 964 RSR into a barrier and ended up splashing down into a canal during the 2013 Hellendoorn Rally in the Netherlands.
Video: Kleinjan’s Porsche splashdown
The video shows Kleinjan and navigator Bart den Hartog careering - brakes locked - into a barrier, losing both left wheels in the process before performing a half-roll into the canal.
Judging by smoke before impact the brakes were hard on so it may have been a case of late or poorly judged braking or a jammed throttle. Perhaps poor pace notes? Or just plain panic.
BARRIERS TO BLAME?
YouTube users had mixed views about the crash
Apolukuchka said: “In the drift he lost his line into the second corner. That he continued to accelerate after 0:04 was a mistake and by 0:05 he was already in a state of understeer. It looks like he could have just throttled off and done a small feint drift, if only for the purpose of reducing speed in a controlled manner.”
Veloce1313 said: “If you're a racing driver you should have noticed that the throttle got stuck. Taking the foot off the brake would only have led to hitting the barrier at a higher speed because the Porsche would never have turned in at that speed.”
Shakkles01 said: “What you need to understand is that regardless of driver/vehicle fault, the barrier (BG800) was inadequate for this use. It’s anchorage was wrong and proximity to the lightpole is horrible, which led to the car overturning the barrier, clipping the light pole and then flipping.
“If the barrier was used correctly (i.e proper radii units), a minimum deflection anchorage used and if it was not placed so close to the light pole, then this accident could have been a lot less dangerous.”
Fortunately both crew were pulled ashore relatively unharmed.
Klenjan commented: “I have only one black eye and Bart just got cold.”
What do you think could have gone wrong? Email us and we’ll publish your thoughts on Wheels24.
