Three days after prominent Southland businessman and former Gore mayor Ian (‘‘Inky'') Tulloch was critically injured, it remains unclear why his race car veered off a high-speed section of Teretonga Park and crashed.
Mr Tulloch (65) was flown to Christchurch Hospital on Monday after the crash near Invercargill on Sunday. He remains in the intensive care unit in a critical condition.
Mr Tulloch, who has raced cars for more than 40 years, was initially taken by ambulance to Southland Hospital after the Honda Integra he was driving in a one-hour endurance race left the circuit at the loop, at the end of the main straight.
It veered off the track, travelled through a gravel trap and hit a tyre wall about 20m-30m from the track. No other car was involved in the incident and Mr Tulloch's car had not rolled.
Media reports yesterday said Mr Tulloch had received chest injuries and had been placed in an induced coma after the crash.
MotorSport New Zealand chief executive Brian Budd said Mr Tulloch was a ‘‘hero'' of New Zealand motorsport. He was an experienced and successful race driver ‘‘in a number of different types of cars, and trucks''.
An investigation into the accident was continuing. Considerable information had already been received, including a technical report and photographs, he said.
No clear mechanical cause had been established and no faults had been identified with the race track or the driving conditions.
Mr Budd said witness statements were being taken.
Ultimately, it was hoped investigators could talk to Mr Tulloch to learn more about the accident.
‘‘We may never know, unless Inky can remember exactly what happened,'' Mr Budd said.
Southland Sports Car Club captain Noel Atley said he could not comment on details of the crash, because all aspects of the race were ‘‘under investigation'' by MotorSport New Zealand.
‘‘Our club is devastated'', and the thoughts and prayers of club members were with Mr Tulloch and his family, Mr Atley said.
