The Gold Coast-based racer had an accident at his race team’s shop while he assisted in the unloading of the team truck. Tendon and muscle were ripped from his right knee cap. He won’t attend race meetings for at least a month, instead he will work from his home on light duties.
Dream Racing Australia is based in Knoxfield, Victoria, and led by Cameron Fisher and Kim Jane. They will guide the team in Scutella’s absence this weekend at Phillip Island for Round 3 of the Trico Trans Am Series.
Scutella has competed in both Trans Am and TA2 Muscle Cars since they started in Australia. He had already scheduled back his driving program for 2024 and this injury has ruled him out of racing for the rest of the year.
“DRA tested at Winton back on March 8, and I was at our Knoxfield garage helping the boys before flying back to the GC later that afternoon,” said 64-year-old Scutella.
“While clearing the race car trailer, I was carrying rims/tyres down the ramp when my left foot slipped, and my right foot went up under my body as I fell. I could see this huge muscle bulge above my knee and thought ‘that isn’t good’.
“I left foot braked the hire car to Tullamarine, via a private hospital for an X-Ray and a chemist for pain relief and a walking stick. As I entered my Qantas seat, the bloke next to me said ‘buddy, your knee doesn’t look too good’.
“I asked, ‘Are you an Orthopaedic Surgeon?’ and he said, ‘yes, based out of Brisbane’. Simon, god bless his soul, texted a colleague (Jason Beer) on the Gold Coast, and by the time we landed in Brisbane, he had arranged my first appointment and operation the following week.
“I’m now three weeks post-op, in a brace and on crutches for three months. I have lots of rehabilitation ahead and hopefully I’ll be back to normality in 6 to 9 months.
“The morale to the story, no matter how old you are, when the guy who knows best, Crew Chief says to slow down, you need to listen because accidents can occur so fast and out of the blue. I like to live life at 100 miles per hour, but this has certainly pulled the brakes on!”
Dream Racing Australia is set for consecutive racing weekends with Trans Am at Phillip Island and then TA2 Muscle Cars the following weekend at Sydney Motorsport Park.
