I will not write a press release after this race because my performance in this context is irrelevant.
Thomas Knopper, the 2007 European Champion in KZ2, died in Sunday?s KZ2 pre final. He was involved in a starting crash along with three other drivers; Paolo de Conto, Niki Ejem and Dominik Schmidt. These incurred damage to arms and legs.
I started further back in the field and saw the crash from behind. But since everything happened so fast, it?s difficult to fully remember details. What I remember is that Knopper flew out of his kart, because I saw his body in full length in the air. Then his kart landed on another driver in front of me.
When I passed the crash, I remember that many of the drivers further back in the field turned their heads and started waving their arms. The race was stopped immediately. Ambulances, rescue personnel and police were quickly in place, but Knopper could not be rescued and died at the scene of the accident.
It?s with sadness I write these lines. I didn?t know him, but I was very upset after the accident. I can?t even imagine how his loved ones are feeling in this difficult time.
We reached about 137 km/h in this area. To the left of the track there are no curbs and if you happen to get one or two wheels outside the track, it?s very easy to drift up the hill. The hardest part to understand is that there is a forest in this hill. If you crash, the forest is the only option, while there?s no run off area here.
Even last year in the German championship, there were complaints on the track. I remember when a driver went of in the accident area. The organization then checked the area and found a tree stump which was taken away.
The scary part of it is that the accident could have happened to anyone of the drivers.
The forest must be taken away, a proper run off area must be made at the scene of the accident, there must be curbs on the outside of the curve and the concrete wall must be removed. Also, the trees in the small forest at the other half of the track must be taken away!
Two other accidents have made these last weeks very difficult. Henry Surtees died at Brands Hatch on July 19th, because of being hit in the head by a wheel from a car just crashing. Also, 25th of July, Formula 1 driver Filipe Massa was injured by a large spring which broke off the Brawn Mercedes of Rubens Barrichello and struck Massa on the head.
Problems raised after these recent accidents in motorsports are:
1. Improvements of the helmet and visor
2. More protection at the back of the kart, in order to prevent wheels tangling into one another and karts climbing on the rear wheels
3. Overall safety for the head and neck in single seaters and karts
Knopper was only 19 years old and a very experienced driver. 2007, he won the European Championship in KZ2, 2008 he raced Formula Renault 2.0 and this year he was 6th in the KZ1 European Championship.
My thoughts are with you Thomas, your family, friends and team. May you rest in peace.
To read more about my thoughts about the weekend, please visit my website www.charlotteracing.se
