Drivers recover after dramatic smash

TWO stock car drivers were recovering at home today after thousands of race fans watched as a real drama unfolded at Foxhall Stadium.

Two cars smashed head-on into one another just after the start of the banger destruction derby at the Suffolk racetrack.

Three other cars in the race managed to stop just inches from the cars, preventing a track pile up.

Firefighters had to be called to the scene to cut drivers Simon Fennell from Clacton and Hayden Bennett from Bury St Edmunds out of their mangled cars.

The incident happened at around 5.30pm yesterday when Simon Fennell's met head on with Hayden Bennett.

Three other cars were just inches away from crashing into the pair as marshalls stopped the race.

Fire crews and paramedics were called to the scene and Mr Fennell, who was drifting in and out of consciousness was taken to Ipswich Hospital.

He was later discharged. Mr Bennett did not need hospital treatment.

It took an hour to remove the drivers from their vehicles – firefighters found it difficult to cut them open because they had been strengthened before taking part in a series of banger races during the afternoon.

Concerned specators watched as the emergency teams worked – and extra drama was added by the presence of the police helicopter hovering just over the stadium.

It turned out this was nothing to do with the drama on the track – it was scouring the Rushmere Heath area for a suspected thief.

The accident happened shortly after the start of the race and held up proceedings for more than an hour.

Roy Eaton, of event promoters Spedeworth International said: "It was just the sheer impact and I think that shook them up."

It did not affect the other drivers, however, who continued later with the end of the destruction derby and the end-of-show crowd pleaser, the caravan destruction derby.