24 Hours of Le Mans

Accident Ends HVM Status GP’s Le Mans Challenge

1 Mins read
Tony Burgess crashed the Lola coupe shortly before half distance (Credit: Frederic le Floc'h/DPPI)

LMP2 team HVM Status GP were forced to retire from the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans after an accident shortly before half distance.

On his out lap at the start of a night time race stint Tony Burgess crashed heavily in the Porsche Curves. Though the car was very heavily damaged, prompting the immediate end to the team’s race Burgess was able to walk away from the accident though after checks at the circuit medical centre he was transferred for precautionary checks to hospital suffering from bruising after the accident.

At the time Burgess and the VisitFlorida.com sponsored team were running 13th in the class – the strongest numerically in the race – after earlier stints from co-drivers Johnny Mowlen and Jonathan Hirschi, as well as Burgess.

“Track conditions were very difficult when Tony took over – it was night time, it was getting cold and it was slippery,” said team technical director Rob Arnott. “It was obviously a great relief when we saw him walk away from the accident. Many of the components are completely destroyed but the safety cell and everything else stood up to the impact incredibly well and it all absorbed the impact.”

“The Lola is a very safe car, and I have to say that the fact that it is a coupe minimised the risk to Tony, because he was protected from any parts that came loose in the impact. We are obviously bitterly disappointed about what happened, but thankful for the safety standards in our car.”

The 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans continues and theCheckeredFlag.co.uk will cover the race to the end with hour-by-hour updates as well as a live blog.

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James is our Diet-Coke fuelled writer and has been with TCF pretty much since day 1, he can be found frequenting twitter at @_JBroomhead
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