Michael Patrizi has been forced out of this weekend’s Porsche Carrera Cup finale on the Gold Coast after sustaining broken ribs in an accident at Mount Panorama.
The Gold Coast-based driver incurred the injury when a mechanical failure put him into the wall at The Dipper in the third and final race of the penultimate round at Bathurst two weeks ago.
Since the crash, the 30-year-old has undergone X-rays in hospital revealing fractures to his ribs, rendering him unfit to compete in this weekend’s final round.
Coupled with his injuries, Patrizi’s car has suffered extensive damage which he intends to repair in time for next season’s campaign in Carrera Cup Australia.
It is the second time Patrizi will import a new shell from Germany this season after a big cars for Troy Bayliss, his co-driver at Phillip Island.
“I’ve sustained some rib injuries at Bathurst and I’m unfit to drive,” Patrizi told Speedcafe.com.
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“I have never been injured in a race car ever and it was a big hit.
“There was a lot of pain in the ribs and I’m undergoing physiotherapy at the moment as I have displaced the ribs at the back.
“It’s uncomfortable more than anything but there are few fractures there too.
“It’s hugely frustrating having been running strong but I will make a full recovery, there is no question about that I have just got to rest up.
“We had a failure at the front probably caused by some light contact beforehand.
“It’s done a lot of damage to the car and it needs to re-shelled, so its a big one.”
While Patrizi will be absent from the paddock at Surfers Paradise, Nissan’s V8 Supercar co-driver David Russell is set to continue behind the wheel of the Roger Lago JBS Carrera Cup car.
The 32-year-old deputised for Lago who was unable to compete at Mount Panorama circuit due to business commitments.
“It is a bit unexpected, Bathurst could have gone a lot better in my book but at the same time Roger has offered me the chance to do Gold Coast and I wasn’t going to say no, so it’s a credit to him,” Russell told Speedcafe.com.
Russell enjoyed his run out two weeks ago which included tussles with title contenders Steven Richards and Warren Luff at the sharp end of the grid.
Just 31 points separates Luff, Richards and reigning champion Craig Baird heading into this weekend in what is the closest championship battle in the series’ history.
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