Apparently, “left four and a half after crest” is code for ‘hold on tight!’
Kym Illman and co-driver Kirrilee Gentleman were cruising along a late stage of the 2011 Targa Tasmania. Their Mitsubishi Evo IX was running well and Gentleman was shouting out the guidance so Illman could keep pushing. Apparently, however, the pair got mixed up on one crucial route point – a slow left immediately following a fast straight with a crest at the end.
As Gentleman tried to point out the rapidly approaching “left 4.5 after crest,” Illman was trying to clarify what he heard. They didn’t have time for that, however, because the car went light over the crest while traveling approximately 190 kilometers per hour (118 miles per hour). Again, left four and a half after crest!
“LEFT FOUR AND A HALF AFTER CREST!”
Brakes don’t work too well in this particular situation, so the Evo flew right through the turn, and wound up in the Tasmanian countryside.
“Sorry.”
Thankfully, neither driver or co-driver were hurt. The video cameras were rolling, providing footage from two angles. The first angle shows us Kym and Kirrilee’s vantage point while the second reveals just how violently the jolt shock the co-driver. Illman was wearing a HANS device while Gentleman, sadly, was not. Click past the jump to see the clip.
