Croft BTCC qualifying halted after 12-car crash

Eurotech Racing Honda driver Jeff Smith and Motorbase Ford's Luke Davenport are being cut from their cars and will taken to hospital once then have been extracted.

Aron Taylor-Smith (Triple Eight MG) was also knocked out in the crash and has been taken to the circuit’s medical centre for further treatment.

Davenport went off at the Jim Clark Esses after nine minutes of the 30-minute qualifying session and 11 other cars went off in his wake.

Andrew Jordan (WSR BMW), who was one of the first to approach the trouble spot, said: “One of the Ford cars ahead of me went off into Barcroft and as it came back on, there was fluid on the track: there was no grip whatsoever.

“I was a passenger once we hit the slippery surface. There is no time to react to anything there and then everyone piled in.”

Those involved included Jordan, Ollie Jackson and Ant Whorton-Eales (AmD Tuning Audi), Jack Goff and Smith (Eurotech Racing Honda) Adam Morgan (Ciceley Racing Mercedes), Stephen Jelley (Team Parker Racing Ford and Ash Sutton (Team BMR Subaru).

Series director Alan Gow said that none of the injuries were life-threatening.

“We have the medics at the scene dealing with the incident and they will be giving expert care,” he said.

“I have been told that none of the injuries are life threatening, but the boys will certainly be sore later on.”

Matt James