74-year-old dirt karter, Tony Hucks died after potentially suffering a heart attack in South Australia.
Although not officially confirmed, the Gumeracha Football Club – where Hucks was a member and former player and coach – stated he suffered a heart attack and went off track and died at the scene.
The event was under the AIDKA (Australian Independent Dirt Kart Association) which, through the independence declared through its very name, has no affiliation with Motorsport Australia or Karting Australia that have the delegated authority for motor racing in Australia through the FIA.
The Gumeracha club paid tribute to Hucks saying:
Karting Australia – that had no association with the event, AIDKA, or the incident – told Speedcafe.com in a statement that:
“Mr. Hucks was taking part in a race authorised by the Australian Independent Dirt Kart Association (AIDKA) when his go-kart allegedly left the track and collided with a water truck. He sustained serious injuries in the crash and sadly died at the scene.
“Riverland police and crime scene investigators attended the scene.”
While the circumstances are still being investigated, whether it was a medical incident or not, it is incredulous that a competitor under any jurisdiction could encompass a support vehicle in this manner.
Significant measures have been in place globally since Jules Bianchi’s collision with an on-track support vehicle in the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix in 2014 that resulted in him succumbing to injuries sustained.
Although not aligned with AIDKA in any way, Karting Australia implements stringent safety infrastructures that lead the world, which evidently, AIDKA needs to investigate moving forward after a, no doubt, thorough review.
Police are investigating the circumstances that led to Hucks’ death, preparing a report for the Coroner.
Speedcafe.com offers its condolences to the family of Mr. Hucks and his fellow competitors.
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