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Matt Mingay is upbeat about his health and hoping for a return to racing just over 12 months after a shocking crash which nearly claimed his life.
Mingay was racing in a Stadium Super Truck at the Detroit IndyCar round in June 2016 when his truck turned onto its side and had its roof taken off by a concrete barrier.
The stunt rider’s jaw was shattered, requiring complex reconstructive surgery in Detroit, while he also suffered a major haemorrhage to the left side of his brain.
Having been without a bottom row of teeth since the accident, Mingay’s long recovery will take another step next month when he has a prosthetic set of teeth installed.
“It’s been a tough 12 months of my life; I’ve been up and down something fierce,” he told Speedcafe.com.
“I’ve done a lot of cross-training to try and get myself back on track.
“Clearly, from my speech, I still have no bottom teeth but I’m due to get my brand new teeth in six weeks, thank God; I can’t wait to eat a steak.
“In saying that, it’s been a tough road and still is very tough; I’m still in rehab and trying to get back on track.
“It certainly is off-putting, what I’ve been through, that’s for sure.”
Mingay heads up the highly successful Hot Wheels Stunt Team, performing in drifting and stunts demonstrations during the entertainment sessions at most Supercars events, but is still itching for a return to his racing interests.
The Gold Coaster contested the inaugural Polaris RZR Australian Championship in 2015 and continued to run in the one-make series last year until his accident, while he also became a regular in Stadium Super Trucks rounds held in Australia.
“I miss racing in the national Polaris offroad racing series. I’m sponsored by Polaris and I endeavour to do the whole series.
“There have also been three rounds of SST racing in Australia, which I highly miss, and from what everyone tells me they highly miss me as well.
“I’ve constantly got (category owner) Robby Gordon in my ear going, ‘When are you back?’, ‘When are you back?’, ‘I want you back.’
Mingay also expressed a keen interested in the ECB SuperUtes Series, which he has had an inside look at due to his friendship with Paul Ceprnich, whose PACE Innovations business is constructing the prototypes.
“I’d love to have a go in (SuperUtes); it’d be awesome,” said Mingay.
“I’m real good friends with Ceppy from Pace Innovations so I visit there all the time and I’ve watched them in the making.
“I know that what was announced at Townsville (when the first two prototypes were unveiled) was baby steps, obviously that’s not the way they’re going to end up, but I reckon it’ll be unreal when they’re finished.”
However, Mingay has still been unable to regain his CAMS licence.
A sensational return to racing at this year’s Adelaide 500 was dashed on the eve of the event when CAMS refused to re-issue a licence on the grounds that the National Medical Advisory Committee (NMAC) had made further requests in order to verify his fitness to compete.
Mingay claims that CAMS is still seeking documentation from a doctor who performed surgery on him in Detroit shortly after the accident, as well as completion of a multi-day neurological testing program.
“What they’re asking from me is too in-depth, too hard to do,” claimed Mingay.
“One of them is to get a letter from my doctor in America, in Detroit. I’ve got no idea who my doctor even is who operated on me in the US, so therefore I can’t get it.
“Another one is that I have to sit for a neurological test and it’s a three-day test and each day’s six hours, and it costs $3,000.
“They (CAMS) originally asked for four tests, which were my CGI test on my head, MRI test on my head, epilepsy (test), and a scan of my head.
“It cost me about $4,000 to get all four tests done, took me about a month, and I passed with flying colours, no problem one little bit.
“They came back saying, ‘No, we need more.’
“I’m like, ‘What are you talking about? You asked me to do four tests, obviously every doctor I went to on my test passed me with no problem, I’ve never had an epileptic fit for anything in my life, and now you’re saying you want more?’ Please.”
In a statement provided to Speedcafe.com, CAMS CEO Eugene Arocca confirmed that the NMAC was still seeking further information from Mingay, but could not elaborate the matter.
“Due to privacy constraints we are unable to discuss specifics relating to Matt Mingay’s head injuries resulting from his serious accident in the United States last year,” read Arocca’s statement.
“The National Medical Advisory Committee (NMAC) is awaiting further medical information that is yet to be provided.”
CAMS statement in full
Due to privacy constraints we are unable to discuss specifics relating to Matt Mingay’s head injuries resulting from his serious accident in the United States last year.
The National Medical Advisory Committee (NMAC) is awaiting further medical information that is yet to be provided.
NMAC is an independent body and assesses each case on its merits in line with CAMS Medical Standards.
We will continue to work with Mr Mingay to help him provide the information required by NMAC.
CAMS Medical Standards (Section 4.7) address head injuries and a return to competition:
4.7 Head Injuries
(a) Fitness to Compete
Individuals with concussion or fracture of the skull without associated intracranial injuries are UNFIT to compete until a satisfactory report, together with investigation results (X-rays, EEG, MRI and/or CT scan if indicated), is received and approved by CAMS.
VIDEO: Mingay speaking to Speedcafe.com last year about his journey back from the accident
