Phil Guillou in action at Brands Hatch, a year after crashing at the Kent circuit. (0590437)
PHIL GUILLOU has returned to Brands Hatch for the first time since his horrific crash on the track last year that could have paralysed him.
In May 2007, the 35-year-old Guernsey motorbike racer came off his £35,000 Yahama doing 95mph in the Clearways section of the famous Kent circuit. He could very easily have broken his neck. Luckily the paint sprayer was not seriously injured and was back riding again a few weeks later on his repaired bike.
The recent Thundersport GP2 Championship round was Guillou’s debut in the series and his first appearance at Brands since his accident. Guillou was naturally apprehensive.
‘It was OK but I was still a bit nervous around Clearways,’ he said. ‘I was losing all my time on that corner and you’ve got to get onto the power to get the bike round, but I wasn’t doing that.’
Guillou qualified for the first race in 10th place.
He worked his way up to seventh with three laps to go when he almost had another horror crash as a rider he was lapping decided to pull out in front of him on the back straight.
The Sarnian had to take drastic action to avoid him and careered onto the grass at 112mph.
‘I was very, very close to “T-boning” him,’ said Guillou.
As a result, he ended up in ninth place.
The second race saw him get up to fourth place, but his tentative riding around Clearways then dropped him down to sixth out of the 23 starters.
Guillou was quite pragmatic about his weekend.
‘It was all right,’ he said.
‘I came away with a sixth place, but it’s obviously one of my worst tracks. But sixth isn’t too bad.’
The races are being shown on Motors TV, Sky channel 413, on Monday at 7pm.
Guillou is next in action the following weekend in the 250 GP support race to the Moto GP race round at Donington.
Guillou says that 40 of the best 250 GP riders in Great Britain will be taking part.
‘It will be tough,’ he said.
Following Donington, Guillou will race in the next round of the Thundersport GP2 Championship in Snetterton, East Anglia.
‘With Snetterton being my favourite circuit, I’ll be hoping for a good result there,’ said Guillou.
Article posted on 10th June, 2008 - 2.30pm
Loading ...
Most Commented: