Gold Logie nominee Grant Denyer survives 160km/h rally race crash

CHANNEL 10 have postponed plans to film new episodes of Family Feud this week, as Grant Denyer recovers from his horror 160km/h rally car crash. EXCLUSIVE PICTURES

The crash scene, racing enthusiast Grant Denyer in happier times (right) and being flown to The Alfred hospital (top left).

CHANNEL 10 have postponed plans to film new episodes of Family Feud this week, as Grant Denyer recovers from his horror 160km/h rally car crash.

The gold Logie nominee cheated death after crashing while driving in rally race near Marysville yesterday.

Incredibly he walked away from the crash with a broken tailbone and finger.

A Channel 10 spokeswoman told News Corp: “TEN and FremantleMedia Australia are working together to reschedule episodes of Family Feud that were due to be recorded this week.”

Denyer’s navigator Dale Moscatt had to be cut out of the crumpled wreck, and both were flown to hospital.

Moscatt is currently being operated on for a suspected broken leg and fracture to his L4 [lower back] vertebrae.

The mangled wreckage of their car is being transported back to Sydney today, where Lotus officials were hoping to examine whether an on board camera had captured the accident and survived the impact in order to aid in the crash investigation expected to follow.

A witness said it seemed the Family Feud host, 39, “missed one of the corners” and “went off into some bushes”.

The car ended up down a slope, 10m from the road.

“Grant was bloody lucky to miss that huge tree,” the witness said, pointing to one just metres away.

“It would have been the end of him and (co-driver Dale) Moscatt.”

Denyer reportedly suffered a broken coccyx and finger and Moscatt a broken leg.

The crash scene near Marysville. Picture: Stuart Walmsley

The Lotus ended up in a group of bushes off the side of the road. Picture: Stuart Walmsley

The car ended up 10m off the road. Picture: Stuart Walmsley

Denyer suffered a broken coccyx and finger, and Moscatt a broken leg. Picture: Stuart Walmsley

The Lotus is towed away. Picture: Stuart Walmsley

The 11.30am crash happened on a particularly treacherous part of the course in the Lake Mountain sprint stage of the Australian Tarmac Rally Championships.

The Herald Sun understands Denyer hit a large tree, his silver Lotus ending up in a large group of bushes.

Denyer’s shocked wife, Chezzi, told the Herald Sun the crash was a “freak accident”.

She said her husband was “so cautious” as a driver.

“He doesn’t really have accidents and I don’t really worry. He’s (been) told he’s fine,” she said.

“It’s been a hard day, but I have never tried to talk him out of it (motorsport), and I wouldn’t, because I know how much he just loves it.”

TV presenter Grant Denyer arrives at The Alfred. Picture: Eugene Hyland

Denyer loves car racing. Here he’s all smiles after finishing his first race in five years in the Australian GT Series in Townsville in which he came second. Picture: Zak Simmonds

The damaged car will be taken to Sydney for investigation and repairs. Picture: Stuart Walmsley

Chezzi was at home in Bathurst with the couple’s two daughters, Sailor and Scout, at the time of the crash.

She has arranged for Denyer’s father, Craig, to fly to his bedside.

Channel 10 and Denyer’s manager, Titus Day, confirmed he was “walking around (hospital) and in good spirits.”

The damaged Lotus was to be taken back to Sydney for investigation and repairs.

Chief operating officer of the Lotus racing team, Richard Gibbs, said on-board footage and the dashboard unit would be reviewed to find out the cause of the accident.

“Our first concern is the welfare of our drivers,” he said.

Witnesses said the high-performance car “left the road at speed,” hit a tree, and “crumpled around them”.

Organisers suspended the race stage to allow for medical and safety teams to attend to the injured drivers.

Denyer, who has pursued a racing career in parallel with his TV work, had a breakthrough in competition racing last year, winning the Australian Endurance championship.

He had been away from his family for the past fortnight preparing for the Tasmanian Targa rally, which starts the day after this year’s Logies, being held on April 23.

His lucky escape came the same day he was confirmed as one of six nominees for the Gold Logie as most popular personality on Australian TV.

Sunday’s crash was not his first injury: he was bedridden for eight weeks in 2008 after seriously hurting his back while reporting on a monster truck demonstration for Seven’s Sunrise.

He said that accident “certainly caused me to re-evaluate all aspects of my life.”

“Racing and TV are my two passions … I love it,” he said.

The accident comes on the same day Denyer was confirmed as one of six Gold Logie nominees, as most popular TV personalities, with a Silver Logie nomination as best presenter.