Race car driver’s horrific crash at Australian Prototype Series: ‘How did I survive?’

A driver racing in the Australian Prototype Series has come out unscathed after a horrific crash at Sydney’s Eastern Creek, where his car became airborne and flipped multiple times.

He can smile about it now but it is a miracle that Michael Naguib walked away unharmed from a terrifying high speed racing crash that could easily have killed him.

The Australian Prototype Series competitor was testing his West WR 1000 at Eastern Creek raceway on Friday night when things went horribly wrong.

The high performance car flipped multiple times before somehow coming to rest the right way up again.

Stunned onlookers were ­relieved — and shocked to see Mr Naguib, 40, a building executive and father of four from Adelaide, get out and walk away.

Just a few hours later Mr Naguib told The Sunday Telegraph while he was “shaken” by the incident and in “desperate need of a beer”, he was ­“absolutely” grateful to have escaped unharmed.

Michael Naguib was involved in a horrifying crash on track last night and thankfully walked away without a scratch. Picture: Tim Hunter

Michael Naguib’s crash at Eastern Creek. Picture: John Morris

He said the car, which uses a motorbike engine, had been fitted for a new engine just hours before the shocking crash.

“We had a practise this morning and had some engine issues, basically detonated the engine, so we spent six hours pulling it out and then fitting a new one into the car,” Mr ­Naguib said.

“We basically got it all ­together a minute before the (evening) practice sessions, went through the first turn at about 225km/h, then the back of the car let go.”

The 40 year-old said the ­incident happened “too fast” for him to recall much about it.

“It went sideways, and the next thing I knew I was looking at the sky, doing cartwheels.”

Naguib said the crash happened too fast for him to remember it. Picture: John Morris

Mr Naguib was as surprised as anyone when he was able to pull himself from the wreckage and walk away unhurt.

“I’m little bit shaken but ­besides that I’m good, I took a deep breath after and got ­myself out,” he said.

While he is thanking his lucky stars, the $40,000 car, however was uninsured.

He said he had spent “tens of thousands” of hours fine­tuning it for the race.

But despite the crash, Mr Naguib said he would aim to return to the track.

“Last year I won the round, which is as good as it gets, but this year is as bad as it gets,” he said.

“But I was very fortunate, this is for sure the most serious crash I’ve ever had.

“I’ll come back, but I need another car first.”