Vehicle leaves track at Queensland raceway, killing driver, 55, and injuring a camera operator
The drag racer Sam Fenech has died after his vehicle left the track at Willowbank Raceway in Ipswich on Saturday night and crashed into a camera tower.
“It is with great sadness that Top Fuel Racing Australia announces that Sam Fenech, driver of the Fabietti Racing Doorslammer, has succumbed to injuries suffered in a racing accident at Willowbank Raceway and passed away this evening,” the raceway said on social media.
“We send our love and support to the Fenech family and the whole team at Fabietti Racing.”
Fenech was 55 and from New South Wales.
Police are investigating following a fatal crash at a Willowbank racing event this evening (January 7). The public are advised to avoid the area around Champions Way or exercise patience with likely traffic disruption. https://t.co/vJEmNr3erV pic.twitter.com/o8dQMagrhl
Queensland police said a camera operator had been taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries after the crash about 7pm local time. The Queensland Ambulance Service said the patient was in a stable condition.
The accident occurred during Willowbank’s New Year Nitro drag racing event.
Queensland police’s forensic crash unit is working with Workplace Health and Safety to investigate, and people are being asked to avoid Champions Way, where the racetrack is.
