Tragic end in Liedolsheim

2009-08-13

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.

I can tell you about three other incidents over the weekend that makes the race at this track questionable.

During practice I was behind a driver who went off the track in the accident area with one wheel outside the track and he went up the hill. He did however remain in his kart and the whole thing was less dramatic, but the incident should have been a wake-up call for the organization.

I went off the track in Saturday's first heat, this in the first curve, just after the scene of the accident. I went off the track with two wheels where there’s sand and only a meter run off area followed by fences. I don’t even want to think about how bad it could have ended, if I had more speed/crashed with someone etc, in that area.

Also, I was driving behind a driver in Saturday’s second heat, when his rear axle divided into two parts with the rear wheel still on it. This piece spun like a projectile into the air. This happened on a straight where we use 6th gear about two metres from a concrete wall on the right side. We have seen far too many loose parts hitting other drivers and injuring them seriously. What would have happened if someone got this part in the head? If there had been a run off area instead of a concrete wall, the whole incident probably would have happened further away from the track and the part probably never would have reached the track.

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.

I can’t understand how the track has been inspected and approved. They probably have this big race on Liedolsheim because it’s the oldest track with international standard in Germany and some seem to want to keep the traditions.

However, I can’t agree on Liedolsheim being an international track. It’s only driveable for rental go karts and smaller classes that hold lower speeds.

After the accident one can’t understand how we could be allowed to drive on this dangerous track. We raced in a forest, next to a concrete wall, on defective curbs and had no run off areas.

The scary part of it is that the accident could have happened to anyone of the drivers.

As a single driver, it’s difficult to speak up and go against an entire organization. The ones who do the track scrutineering have the ultimate responsibility!

Now the German Motorsport Association, DMSB, must review all German tracks. They have to ask us drivers how we experience the tracks and we must act critically. The Swedish Motorsport Association, SBF, and the international karting federation CIK-FIA must all take responsibility and do the same.

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

As the police have acquired the video from the race, the cause of death is still under investigation. But reportedly Thomas died as a result of a broken neck.

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.

Please see attached videos from the dangerous track.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7XyxplD9n0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhJegSEz910&feature=related