German racing driver involved in collision with kangaroo at Bathurst 12 Hour
German racing driver Christopher Mies experienced a horrifying collision with a kangaroo while travelling at approximately 155mph during this year’s Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race in Australia, reports BritPanorama.
The two-time winner of the prestigious event was piloting his Haupt Racing Team Ford Mustang GT3 along the Conrod Straight, barely 20 minutes into the race, when the animal appeared without warning. The impact, involving a kangaroo estimated to weigh up to 100kg, completely destroyed the vehicle’s windshield and sprayed the cockpit with blood.
Mies recounted the moment: “So the moment I saw it was the impact. It was very unfortunate and it was quite a big one, but honestly, I’m glad that we have such a safe race car; it could have been much worse.” Despite the disorientation, he managed to guide his stricken vehicle to safety by peering through the side window.
He noted, “I looked through the side window, saw a wall and tried to go as close as possible to the wall on the left side. I still saw the cars coming from the rear, so I wanted to be in a safe place as much as possible, not that someone doesn’t see me or whatever and hits me again.”
Once safely stopped, Mies was overcome by nausea and vomited at the trackside, still wearing his heavily bloodstained racing suit. “I just had to throw up, I had to vomit. The smell was incredible. I already had two showers. I still have the smell in my nose. I can tell you the inside of a kangaroo doesn’t smell very nice,” he added.
Medical staff escorted him to the circuit’s facilities for examination, where he was cleared of any injuries before showering. He then returned to his hotel for a second wash before heading back to the paddock. Mies is now attempting to rescue his racing helmet, which remains contaminated with blood and organic matter. He stated, “It’s bloody expensive, so I’m trying to save it!”
Mies urged race organisers to reconsider the early morning start time, which he believes contributed to the incident. He suggested, “To be honest, I think we should think about maybe having a later race start, maybe instead of 5:50 in the morning, maybe something like 7-ish or 8 o’clock and finish later or put up some big fence.” He further remarked, “In the end, we all want to race, right? And if we crash, we crash, the race is over. But to end the race because you hit an animal on track is never nice, especially in the first 10 minutes.”
Kangaroos are a recurring hazard at Mount Panorama in New South Wales, with the state home to an estimated 14 million of the animals.
In the strange interplay between nature and sport, Mies’ incident sheds light on the unexpected challenges faced by drivers; it’s a stark reminder of the unpredictable variables that can define any race.
