Grant Denyer has denied accusations that he caused a crash that left another racer with a broken spine in last weekend’s Bathurst 6 Hour event – then failed to take the aftermath seriously in social media posts.
The Channel Ten star was attempting to pass Richard Barram on the Griffins Bend corner at Mount Panorama while that area of the track was under a double waved yellow flag because a Mazda was stranded on the circuit.
Overtaking is not allowed under yellow flags.
Denyer’s Chevrolet Camaro collided with Barram’s Volkswagen Scirocco as Barram tried to avoid the stationary Mazda, with the impact sending him straight into the crippled car.
The impact destroyed the front of Barram’s car, while Denyer’s front left tyre was ripped away as both vehicles came to rest on the right of the circuit.
Denyer was taken to Bathurst Hospital for observation with a possible shoulder injury and Barram was taken to Orange Hospital.
Grant Denyer (in the front car) is pictured a split second after colliding with the Volkswagen of Richard Barram at the Bathurst 6 Hour race last weekend
Barram’s car was a complete wreck after the crash (pictured), which left him with a broken back and a foot fractured so badly it will need reconstructive surgery
Denyer has been slammed by Barram’s co-driver after he released a video (pictured) calling the incident ‘just a small scrape’
While Denyer was released in good health after an hour, it has since been revealed that Barram suffered a fractured vertebra, multiple fractured ribs and a foot that was broken so badly he will require reconstructive surgery.
The Deal Or No Deal host posted an update to Instagram on Tuesday.
‘Just wanted to let you know I’m A OK … I was only in hospital for an hour, and that was only for compulsory checks, as part of the regulations,’ Denyer said.
‘It (the crash) was very minor, it (the damage) was just a small scrape. Someone just tagged my car, trying to avoid another parked car, and they just spat us both into the wall.’
That statement didn’t sit well with Barram’s co-driver James Hay, who lashed out at Denyer.
‘Our driver Richard Barram was struck by Grant Denyer’s vehicle in a zone under double waved yellow flags – a sector requiring all drivers to slow and prepare to stop. The collision was not a racing incident. It was avoidable,’ Hay said.
‘We had hoped to deal with this privately and allow the stewards’ process to run its course.
‘However, following Grant’s recent Facebook post in which he described the incident as “someone just tagged my car” – while our driver is recovering from serious injuries – we felt compelled to respond publicly.
Richard Barram (pictured) is now ‘facing a long road to recovery’
Pictured: Denyer’s car is taken off the track with its front-left wheel hanging off
The Channel Ten host (pictured at a separate motorsport event) has been accused of attempting to ‘deflect responsibility’ for his role in the collision
‘We are deeply disappointed that he would minimise a serious incident on social media and deflect responsibility while Richard is still recovering.
‘We wish Grant a full recovery. But the facts matter – particularly when a driver is facing a long road to recovery.’
That appeared to prompt Denyer to make a statement to Speedcafe on Wednesday, in which he voiced his ‘sincere concern’ for Barram and said he was ‘deeply saddened to hear of the extent of his injuries.’
Denyer also said he spent time with Barram in hospital and the update on his condition came as ‘quite a shock’.
He stressed that he ‘could not see the yellow flags’.
‘As I was on my approach to Turn 2 on the right-hand side of the track, I was seeking to pass two slower class cars,’ Denyer explained.
‘As a result, I had no line of sight to the flag point on the left. I was focused on the braking point and clearing the two cars safely and could not see the yellow flags to the left – it was completely unsighted.
‘There was no radio call advising of double yellows or a stopped car ahead and, as I came into Turn 2 (Griffins Bend), I observed a waved green flag above the parked vehicle, indicating a return to normal racing conditions. I then moved to the right based on that understanding.
‘At that point, Richard appeared to move to the right also, I believe to avoid the stopped car on the left, not expecting me to be there.
‘Our cars made contact, which resulted in both of us being directed into the wall.’
The Daily Mail has contacted Motorsport Australia for comment.
Motorsport fans joined Hay in criticising Denyer over his actions in the lead-up to the crash.
‘What about the other driver?’ one wrote in response to Denyer’s first post about the crash on Instagram.
‘Wouldn’t it be more accurate to say you hit the other driver into the wall? In double yellows mind you,’ added another.
‘Passing under yellow, and the car that was not expecting anyone to pass was sent head on onto a wall from your contact. Some empathy for the other driver/team would of been nice,’ read one comment on Denyer’s Facebook post, which mirrored what he uploaded to Instagram.
‘So no mention of you passing a car under double yellow flags approaching a stationary car on the track and the other driver that you hit has a broken back and needs reconstructive surgery with a long recovery process?’ another wrote.
