I could start this as I usually do, giving a quick preview of the weekend and then breaking down the days and the action that happened. But this time, it doesn't seem quite right to do so.
For most, you will already be aware, in Race 2 of the weekend I was involved in a massive crash which destroyed the car resulting in me being carried away from the car and to the medical centre. I eventually followed this up with a trip to A&E when I got back up to Leicestershire.
I am fine. Physically I think I have been the luckiest human being on earth that day. No broken bones, although on crutches due to something wrong with one of my tendons that connects to my Fibula, and a handful of bruises scattered over the right hand side of my body. But looking at the damage sustained to the car it could have been far, far worse.
The video above was captured by @cars.are.racing (visit their Instagram and Youtube page for the rest of the incidents throughout the weekend) and I received a message checking up on me and asking for permission to post the crash, which of course I granted.
As for the incident itself, it happened due to the smallest of contact on the rear of my car, just as it unloaded from the compression of Paddock Hill bend. It was the type of contact that usually we wouldn't even blink twice about in Mx-5 racing but because of the circumstances and the loadings on the car, it was enough to put me sideways and into the tyre stack on the inside. From there, the 2nd impact happened when the backmarker decided that instead of driving past the incident, he would instead stop, causing a blockage in the road. One car of Simon Baldwin hitting the back of him with no where to go, and the 2nd car of Nic Grindrod taking avoiding action of that, crashing into the side of my car. The less said about the 2nd impact the better but I am glad both Nic & Simon are ok.
The initial contact from Tom Griffiths I must stress was the lightest of touches, and in no way would Tom ever do anything on circuit to put another driver in danger intentionally. Tom and his family could not apologise enough for the incident and I fully accept their apologies with open arms, they are excellent people, and Tom is a true gentleman.
After the incident I was carried to the ambulance and then to the medical centre to get checked over, and instructed to go to hospital, which I did once I had got back home with the car and van.
I feel like this is probably the part where I should be thanking a lot of people, and I apologise in advance if I miss anyone, but this section is really where the title of this post came from. The overwhelming amount of support from everyone in the paddock that were either there to spectate, there running their own teams, mechanics, photographers, sponsors, fellow drivers & past rivals, the messages I have received have been absolutely overwhelming. It does bring home the fact that although we all compete against each other, we all live through the same pains and go through the same rollercoaster of emotions throughout the season, and I am thankful to be in such a supportive paddock of great people.
The obvious place to start is everyone within my team, Tucker Motorsport. Every year they have had to put up with me giving them a headache, but they will always be more than a team to me, they are my racing family, and I'm very sorry for giving you all a scare this weekend! You guys are the best.
All of my sponsors that contacted me straight after the accident, Simone De Pol from EPTA Projects, Steve Darbyshire & Glen Birks from Airbourne Graphics & Signs, Olly Melliard of Melliard Motorsport, Edson Mangueira from EdsonGFX and last but certainly not least Stephen Morley from the Beaded Seat Company, as without your seat, I am more than convinced I would be sat here with broken ribs and back. You can buy a new seat, but you can't buy a new rib cage.
Then there are some individuals that helped me massively. Tom Smith, the legend that is tearing it up in my old mk1, drove my and Big Blue home with the wreckage in the back, while Laura drove their car home, without you, I wouldn't have got back anywhere near as easily as I did, you are both brilliant, thank you.
Ellie Baldwin, because in your utter randomness you had a crutch in the back of your car! Thank you for keeping my spirits high after the crash, and telling me off for hopping around too much!
Steve Foden & family just for being brilliant as always and extremely supportive, to the point where Sophie was practically carrying me around at one stage!
Will Blackwell-Chambers & Niki Bray for their help as drivers reps and supporting me throughout this week in trying to make sure something like this does not happen again.
And finally, every single person and driver that came up to me for the rest of the day at Brands to ask how I was and offering support to me, I can't thank you all enough.
The biggest thank you of all, and it perhaps should be an apology as well, is to my parents, the stress I put you through every time I get in the car, on top of the constant work on the car that my dad does. Honestly I am the luckiest human being on the planet, and because of the quality of car my dad builds, I am able to sit here and say that for 1, I have had 6 seasons of racing and been extremely competitive because of his constant work on giving me the best car, and 2, I am physically still all in one piece (more or less) because of the extremely high standards he works to.
Whats next for me? Well that I wish I had an answer to. One things for certain, I have unfinished business in the Supercup, and I truly believe it is the most competitive series in the country.
Mentally at the moment, the aim for me is the 2024 season. However, as I always ran things trying to pay for the bulk of the racing myself, and then being supported through my amazing sponsors, I find myself in a situation where the money tree I have been praying for hasn't arrived, and with very little to salvage from the wreckage, being out for 2024 financially is going to be a huge challenge in itself and any help and support over the coming months would be hugely appreciated.
For now though, it's time to let the dust settle, regroup and see what the future holds.
Hopefully, I'll see you all at a track soon enough with a big smile on my face.
Jack.
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