A shocking incident at the Meguiar's Bathurst 12 Hour has left Chris Mies shaken, but grateful for the safety features of his Ford Mustang GT3. Mies, a seasoned racer and two-time winner at this event, had a terrifying encounter with a kangaroo on Conrod Straight, in the darkness of the night.
The impact was described as "irreparable" by Ford Racing, yet Mies walked away unharmed, a testament to the car's robust safety design. But here's where it gets controversial... Mies' Mustang wasn't the only car affected. Jayden Ojeda's Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO also collided with the kangaroo, sustaining damage that impacted their performance throughout the race.
"I'm standing here today, but that impact was massive. I'm still in love with Australia, though!" Mies shared, emphasizing the high speed of the collision. He went on to praise the Mustang GT3's safety, crediting Ford Racing and Multimatic for their engineering.
After a quick shower to clear his head, Mies returned to the circuit, determined to support his team. Reflecting on the incident, he explained, "It happened so fast. I saw the kangaroo, and then I hit it. No warning, no flags. Just bad timing and bad luck."
Mies' disappointment for his team, HRT and Ford Racing, is palpable. He feels they deserved a full race, but the unexpected wildlife encounter put an end to their hopes.
This story raises questions about wildlife safety on racing circuits and the measures teams take to mitigate such risks. What are your thoughts? Do you think more could have been done to prevent this incident? Share your opinions in the comments below!
