The scene of the crash.

Track safety queriedA CORONER has found the death of a 38-year-old Japanese man in a racing car accident in Heathcote in 2006 could have been prevented by a mechanical check of the vehicle.Manabu Kondo was killed when the jet-powered car he was test-driving at the Heathcote Raceway crashed into a barrier and disintegrated.In a report handed down in the coroners court yesterday, Coroner Peter White concluded problems with the car’s wheel bearings caused the car to shudder violently as it approached its top speed, knocking Mr Kondo unconscious.He said Mr Kondo then lost control of the vehicle, which veered into a safety barrier. However, Mr White said the accident was preventable.He said the man who sold the car, Kevin Hinkling, the operator of Heathcote Raceway, Russell Clarke, and Mr Kondo himself should have ensured the vehicle had undergone a basic mechanical check.“The failure of Mr Clarke, Mr Kondo and Mr Hinkling – all of whom had either experience or training in engineering – to undertake... anything approaching an adequate risk evaluation of the ongoing performance testing of the jet car was dangerous in the extreme,” he said.Mr Kondo had travelled to Australia in October 2006 with rthe aim of buying a jet car and was put in touch with Mr Hinkling by Mr Clarke. After arranging to buy the vehicle, Mr Kondo had it transported for trial at the Heathcote Raceway on the proviso Mr Hinkling would come to check the car and teach him how to drive it, but Mr Hinkling left after giving only brief instructions.Mr Kondo then started test runs of the car, building up speed under the guidance of Mr Clarke. After a the fifth or sixth run Mr Kondo noticed the vehicle was vibrating. There were also problems with cracking on the car’s wings and a braking parachute deploying early.Despite these issues, Mr Kondo decided to complete a final run, aiming for 95 per cent power or about 320kmh. It was on this run that the car malfunctioned, leaving the track at an estimated speed of about 300km/h.A subsequent examination of the car by Senior Sergeant Le Guier of the mechanical investigation unit showed the car’s wheel bearings were incorrect, the wheel nuts were loose and the hubs damaged.“Senior Sergeant Le Guier further opined that the issues identified concerning the rear wheel lateral movement and loose wheel nuts could have been easily detected had the vehicle been placed on a jack before use,” Mr White said.In the coronal inquest, Mr Hinkling argued he had sold the vehicle to Mr Kondo for display purposes only. But Mr White dismissed the claim, saying Mr Kondo had said on a number of occasions he wanted to “drive the vehicle at speed”.Mr White noted that the builder of the car had told the coroners court it was never designed for drag racing and was not built to travel at more than 220 to 240km/h.

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Car at fault in deadly Heathcote crash: coroner

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