Originally Posted by khyndart in CA
Thanks Sean,
I have some more scratchy photos of hanging around Bay Park.
Along the back straight in October 1969 which was a fun day until the terrible incident when Barry Thomason's Brabham spun and rolled entering the straight and the roll bar caused injuries to his back and neck from which he never fully recovered.
Shocking, I was marshalling that day at the flag point on the inside entering the back straight and Thomasen's Brabham crashed right beside us, he had spun exiting the Rothmans sweeper and when he hit the earth bank on the inside it flipped and because in those days belts weren't compulsory, he started to emerge from the car as it flipped and rolled, so he was half-way out when the car landed with a thump upside down. Naturally we feared the worst so it was some relief to find he was able to be saved, but sadly he had suffered significant spinal damage. A tragedy for the young bloke but he could easily have paid the ultimate price....fortunately belts became a prerequisite shortly thereafter. I think that's me behind the Brabham's rollbar in the pic.
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