Rob Collard: “I’d race again tomorrow if I could”

He may have been left shaken and dazed by a monster high-speed accident at Silverstone, but West Surrey Racing’s Rob Collard says he’d get back in the car and “race tomorrow” if he could.

Collard was airlifted to Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry for precautionary checks after the shunt in race two, where he clipped a sideways Jack Clarke and rolled onto his roof with severe force.

The driver may have suffered no lasting ill-effects, but the same couldn’t be said for the BMW 125i. WSR now face a race against time to get Collard’s car ready for the final race at Brands Hatch in two weeks’ time.

Assessing the accident, Collard said: “I was bracing myself for that initial hit on the roof and my natural instinct then was to just hang on. The marshals got to the car very quickly and got me out – they did a great job, as did the entire medical team. It’s a testament to West Surrey Racing and the NGTC rules in the BTCC that these cars are very very safe.

“I’m absolutely ready to get back in the car and I’d race tomorrow if I could but I’m not sure the car will be. If any team can get the car ready for Brands Hatch then it’s WSR but it’ll take a monumental effort from everyone. I’m 100 per cent a team player and I want to be out there to try and help Colin [Turkington] and the team win all four championships.”

WSR team boss Dick Bennetts added: “It was obviously a stressful day for everyone considering Rob’s accident and we’re just delighted he is okay. We can build new cars so that’s not a problem but we can’t get a new Rob! It was a big one but the strength of the WSR-designed NGTC BMW 125i M Sport was there for all to see.

“I’d also like to send out a big thank you to the whole TOCA medical crew, the Silverstone marshals and everyone else involved in what was our biggest touring car accident since we entered the BTCC!”