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

MGP2182 3-Driver-briefing Pat-Dick-Jon-winning-line-up IMG_4910 16-Chef-Tim europas MG_9493 MG_8857 MG_8798 P1020865 Clive-in-late-afternoon IMG_3779 123_2376_IMG 117_1799_IMG IMG_6504 McL_23 IMG_4834 121_2150_IMG IMG_4435 IMG_4406 20161106_145405 Maleny-bound_gw IMG_0435-Group-9.3-Winno-pedalling-his-S1-5 Group-7.1-Craig-Chalmers-leads-Steve-Lennox-in-the-Europa-S-lineup-A-Stevens IMG_2462 Gail Adam Timing Crew IMG-0161 IMG_0085 IMG_0382 20161105_082215 George dismounting Rapid repair crew dtc-22 Garry Lindsay-Close-1 _MG_4514 as Smart Object-1 Johan and Don Lotus-12-View-1 Jason-and-Joe Yahoo-for-the-Ring-ins-team GIC17-Qld-heading-to-the-finish Jan-Welcome-to-Lakeside- Quiet-reflections-on-the-lake Through-beautiful-undulating-countryside Gathering-at-Canungra-before-heading-to-OReillys Concourse-judges-Wade-and-Derek Allan-Conway Joe,-scrutineer-and-Clive IMG_6730 main-17a F1000008 Period_MG_Transporter 4_Elises_Norwich_Tasmania Ploughman's Lunch Ploughman's Lunch 1425972625_9f2001c84e_m_1 img_1069 P1020219 IMG_7619 IMG_4339 IMG_7637 IMG_4332 IMG_5045 IMG_6561 IMG_6921 DSC_1534 IMGP7324 IMG_6342 IMG_8065 MG_4785 MG_4687 DSC03841 P9180024c1 IMG_5202 image_046 JB-21-1 Loitering-Lotuses_gw Perfectly-prepared Chilly-start-at-Kenmore Club-Caterham 14-two-sevens German-Bakehouse bush_fire_rewgrowth IMG_4602 MG_3933 IMGP8559 steve-02 IMG_0864 Seven Heaven IMG_6183 gostwyck-chapel-photo-by-vyv Phil and Gail gather-round main-35 IMGP8542 Hyundai Excel 1 Moggie main-109

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