Two killed in grand prix

Press, 2 August 1983, Page 34

Two killed in grand prix

NZPA Silverstone Norman Brown, of Northern Ireland, and Peter Huber, of Switzerland, died yesterday after crashing during the British motorcycle Grand Prix at Silverstone.

The two men collided after six laps of the 500 cc race, causing the event to be interrupted.

Ambulance men rushed the two motionless riders off the track and sped them to hospital about 50 kilometres from the circuit. Brown was dead on arrival at hospital, and Huber died from his injuries a few minutes after admission.

After a hold-up of more than half an hour, the 500 cc race resumed, based on positions held on the fifth lap. It was won by America’s Kenny Roberts, whose victory took him into the lead in the world championship standings. Last year the British former world champion,

Barry Sheene, survived a terrible crash on the Silverstone circuit. Sheene’s career should have been over when he was rushed to hospital with multiple fractures after hitting a fallen machine at 240km/h in practice for the 500 cc event.

But, after a miraculous recovery, he fought back to ride again at the top, and took part in yesterday’s race.

On Friday, in trials for yesterday’s Grand Prix, the Italian 125 cc specialist, Eugenio Lazzarini, was taken to Oxford Hospital after fracturing his skull. Lazzarini, aged 38, who rides for Garelli, was in second position in the 125 cc over-all world championship standings.

The double fatality is the worst incident in what has already been an accidentmarred motorcycling season.