Yahoo Finance Insane In-Car Video Shows Racer Being Hit by Track Support Truck
Some crashes during a race are harder to fathom than others. Saturday night during a 350 Super Modified race in Epping, New Hampshire, competitor Bobby Timmons was T-boned by a push truck cutting into the infield. Both Timmons and the unnamed driver of the pickup truck were okay after the hit.
I am speechless. My racecar is number 13 because it may be my 13th reason why pic.twitter.com/GW4KYI4b2Z
— Bobby Timmons (@bobbytimmons13) May 12, 2024
The accident occurred during the Bob Webber Sr. / Jim Martel Memorial 47, the second race of the Star Speedway season and third of the local Little Webb's 350 Supers Series.
"I don't even know what to feel," Timmons told Road & Track. "We've had an absolutely tumultuous start at Star this year. Last week, I got stuffed into the wall before we even completed a lap, then when tonight happened I didn't even know what to think.
Angry. Sad. Mad. All the emotions. The car is so badly damaged. I think it's the worst crash I've ever had in 350 Super Modified racing. When I saw the truck turn left I thought surely he would see me before it was too late. He did not."
From the video posted on X, you can see there was no time for Timmons to react before the hit that would destroy his 350. Luckily, the track has ensured that Timmons will be financially compensated for the total damage done. But it will take time for the New England driver to rebuild his race car at his family machine shop.
"The track was very gracious," Timmons said. "The financial compensation will be taken care of. Unfortunately, I build all of the parts for our cars in-house at our family machine shop. I'm going to need a lot of hours to build this stuff."
Timmons will also have to rebuild his faith in racing; two weeks of hard hits, the second being as jarring as they come, is enough for a racer to question if the risk is worth the reward. When asked if this accident affected him more than a regular racing incident, Timmons explained that it's hard not to look at it in a different light.
"Definitely," Timmons said. "You'll have more bad weeks than good in racing. That's part of the sport, but when something that I believe was 100 percent avoidable ends up being the type of wreck that could be season-ending, it stings."
The truck's driver was not the truck's owner, and Timmons is unclear why it was allowed on the track; The track did not immediately respond to R&T's request for comment.
The racer emphasized that Star Speedway was more than gracious about the incident and that he carried no ill will towards the racing establishment after the incident.
Between Star, sponsors, and the local short-track community, Timmons knows he can rebuild; it will just take time.
"I want to add emphasis that the racetrack was more than gracious, and between them, sponsors of the race, and other loyal supporters, I have received enough financial compensation for the wreck," Timmons said.
While the No. 16 is sidelined from the track, Timmons will continue his racing podcast, The Black Flagged Pod.
"We'll be back. I don't know when, but eventually."
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