A month before the WorldSBK Championship ventures on a new path with a visit to the Autodrom Most in the Czech Republic for Round 6 of the season, it has been announced that two riders have died following a freak accident during an endurance event being held there.
The riders died after one was attempting to get back onto circuit from stationary following earlier issues, but was collected by an unsighted rider coming round at the back of the field as it lapped him.
While Most can trace its history right back to the 1970s, it has been largely overshadowed by the more internationally-known Masaryk Circuit in Brno, which only this season dropped off the MotoGP schedule having held an event almost every year since 1965.
Similarly, the Brno venue has had periods both on and off the WorldSBK schedule with 11 events since 1993, with the last event taking place in 2008.
However, after a significant redevelopment programme at Most - which has a slender configuration that mostly comprises of fast sweeps with few hard braking places - was carried out, it has reached a standard to earn the FIM Grade it needs to host WorldSBK on August 7-8.
Alas, the venue is now reeling from a tragedy to befall it during a local endurance event in which a rider was attempting to re-enter the circuit after initial problems, but wasn’t aware the entire field had come through to lap him already. The resultant impact of both him and the at speed rider killed both instantly, according to Speedweek.
“There was an endurance start, so the bikes were lined up on the start-finish straight and the riders ran to them,” an eyewitness is reported to have said. “One of the drivers couldn't start his bike, and the motorcycle was then pushed onto the grass at the edge of the track.
At some point, however, he got his bike to work. After one lap the field passed him and he didn't think there might be slower riders coming round, so he tried to safely return to the track and start the race.
Exactly at this moment a straggler came on the straight and caught him head-on. Both were dead instantly.”
Go on a lap of the Autodrom Most before WorldSBK hits in August
