Lotus Club Queensland
Dedicated to the promotion and enhancement of the Lotus experience
Login
Register
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Membership
    • Member Login
  • Events
    • Calendar
  • Motorsport
    • Lakeside DTC Timed Laps
    • LAKESIDE DTC RESULTS
  • Magazine
  • For Sale
    • Merchandise
    • Classifieds
  • Posts
  • Galleries
  • Directory
    • Suppliers & Parts
    • Advertisers
  • Archives
helmet-banner

$10 HEAD/$10 HELMET

Anne Blackwood.

For many years in various areas of motorsport there have been discussions about helmet design. I’d like to update you about a recent episode in the Blackwood/Hogan families about the value of top quality helmets and what a wonderful country this is.

July 3, 2022 saw CLA members Jen and David Hogan (my daughter and son-in-law) competing once again at Hattah Desert Race near Mildura. This is an event they love and have competed in a number of times. This year they headed off with their Gang of Two (Penny and Lincoln) along with David’s parents who babysit as well as pit crew.

Saturday’s prologue/qualifying showed a new track layout including straights 2 km+ long that were not usually in the event. David was getting to 131 kph and Jen 112 kph on their KTM’s. Please bear in mind this is through fine red bull dust.

Sunday was fine and dry and they headed off to the spectacular start – which is an epic event and should be seen via YouTube – of hundreds of riders. David was expected to do 8 x 37 km laps (4 hours of riding) and Jen 4 x 37 km laps (2 hours of riding.)

I’m not sure when everything turned to shit for David but he came off his bike and was rag-dolled down the track resulting in eight units of blood transfused, broken hip, ruptured spleen, shattered collarbone, broken ribs, pulmonary embolism, pneumonia – but no concussion. Here lies the story of the $10 helmet.

Jen having worked in the motor bike industry for 20+ years has always been a stickler for top quality helmets – usually Arai or Shoei. David’s helmet was destroyed. For a few weeks following the accident he was still expelling red bulldust from his eyes, ears, throat and nose and I repeat, no head injury.

The spleen was removed at Mildura and he and Jen were airlifted to The Alfred in Melbourne where he stayed for two weeks which was difficult being in the time of Covid. David’s parents returned to Sydney with the bikes and kids. David and Jen were eventually transported via road ambulance from Melbourne to their home in East Seaham. Flying was out of the question because of the embolism which doesn’t like altitude.

Now for the quirky/warped-humour-Anne-bit. I’ve always joked that if Emergency Departments sold souvenir spoons I’d have quite a collection. So, I thought, copulate them! I’ll make my own by collecting town spoons at op shops – 18 needed in total. This is a family that has been airlifted three times; suffered three major hip injuries, etc. I give a meagre regulation donation to Careflight and am thrilled that I receive a Christmas card from them which is treasured.

How’s David doing? He’s doing great. Medicine in this country is amazing. Never underestimate it and never skimp on that helmet.

Lakeside DTC Timed Laps August 2022 DTC

Related Posts

mp-banner

Events, Gallery 2022, Homepage, Racing

Morgan Park Sprints R4

kevs-banner

EMRs, Gallery 2022, Homepage

Kev’s Big Day Out

duratec-banner

Articles, Homepage, Technical

Duratec Elise – better late than never

Random images

MG_9512 Wades-Esprit-1 The-Seven-and-clones Adam-Daryl Dicks-Race-Transport 13-Scottys-Garage-Museum martin Robyn-and-Colin MG_7635 7-Martin-John- No problems for Bond and the Lotus 10.John-B Lotus_pack Carsten_in_Excel IBT5 005 IMG_4856 IMG_4821 IMG_4435 IMG_9976 DSC_0260 David-Yule Digging-the-Exige-out-to-start-the-day Joe-Helen IMG_0488-3 IMG_9824-Different-generations-at-Lakeside-6 IMG_1085 Phil DSC_5269 Mt-Cotton-Hillclimb-Sep17-11 Clive _MG_0359 as Smart Object-1 _MG_9167 as Smart Object-1 IMG-0177 Chris in party mode IMG_1914 Jon Young lec_0187 Group_Shot IMG_5139 IMG_6877 IMG_7372 IMG_6406 img_1029 Honda Civic 1600cc motor lec_0174 IMG_7380 IMG_4896 main-0a main-28a Jan-main-19 main-7 Tim-Moore main-9 IMG_8120 IMG_6843 IMG_4910 lot_020 lot_006 IMG_4203 IMG_8896 1_Getting_organised 27_Geoff_on_3_wheels 20_IMG_9604 IMG_7820 At_Scarborough P1060293 IMG_3215 n751569074_589940_6390 P5250038 IMG_8039 D74_9579_full Waiting for the fog to lift 2 Shine-for-the-show Starting Grid 3 IMG_3201 Maggie-n-Mike-Plus-2-Elan vyv-photo-5 P9270525-1 main-7 Geoff-relaxing-in-a-quiet-spot-GPitt 0-2000cc-Supermodified.-John-Barram-Andrew-Row-and-Bridie-Moran Jon 20200315_110142 _MG_9650 as Smart Object-1 Heading-for-Mt-Mee-gw The End IMG_3693 IMGP8730 The Winners Tonys-Eleven-masterpiece-by-Gavin-Goeldner main-17 gt-40 Mercedes-190SL-Ragtop jaguar-e-type-1 Shanes-Seven-1 IMAG5943 Sam on the run IMAG6204 170709 Sevens Run

Recent Articles

  • Morgan Park Sprints R4
  • Kev’s Big Day Out
  • Duratec Elise – better late than never
  • Gold Rush Hill Sprint – 2022
  • Marburg Pub Run – 4 Sept 2022
  • Unique +2 Road Trip to Brisbane
  • Leyburn 2022
  • August 2022 DTC

Latest Gallery Images

20220220_093834 20220220_093818 20220220_093827 20220220_093743 20220220_093812 20220220_093730

Search articles by category

Archived articles

Lotus Club Queensland
© Lotus Club Queensland   |   Site by Black Eye Studios