Collard leaves hospital after crash

Rob Collard is recovering and has left hospital after his heavy crash in third of yesterday’s races at Snetterton. The Airwaves BMW was struck at speed by the other BMW of Stephen Jelley after having moments earlier been turned around by RML driver James Nash, who was later excluded from the results.

After examinations at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, Collard has been given the all-clear and heads home to recover with his family. Team principal Dave Bartrum drove Collard home late last night after he was discharged from hospital.

“I would sincerely like to thank the medical team at Snetterton who did a sterling job of looking after me following the incident and also the staff at Norwich and Norfolk hospital who were also first class,” said Collard. “When I got out of the car I was a bit sore but the adrenaline was getting me through. It wasn’t until I sat down in the medical centre that it really hit me and the pain was unbelievable. Thankfully I was really well looked after by all the medics and I think they checked absolutely every inch of me to make sure there was no major damage.

Collard described his disappointment at being taken out of the race and admits that Nash had been nudging the back of his car for some time prior to the incident. Despite appearing to not have the fastest car, Collard believes that he could have won the race.

“It was a disappointing way to end the day as the car was outstanding over the first five or six laps in race three and I was building up a comfortable lead,” he added. “Then I saw oil on the track, which I thankfully managed to avoid, and the safety car came out and let the rest of them catch up with me.  When the safety car went off I just tried to hold the lead and there was parts of the circuit where James Nash behind me was faster and others where I had the advantage, it was a bit of cat-and-mouse. He actually hit me quite a few times as we went round and I was just defending the racing line when I got fired off. I tried to save it, which I had done in a similar incident in race one, but I had too much momentum and I came back into the pack.  I saw Matt [Neal] just miss me but I didn’t even see Stephen [Jelley] coming before he hit me.

“If that hadn’t happened I think I would’ve gone on to win the race, or at the very least take a podium place. James Nash is a fast young guy but I think his inexperience showed and he should’ve waited for better opportunity to pass instead of trying to force it.  I don’t think more experienced drivers like Colin Turkington or Fabrizio Giovanardi, who were directly behind him, would have tried a move like that.  In the end it’s ruined his race and mine, and ended my championship hopes.”