Sportsman driver Hunter Iatalese escaped injury in a heart-stopping crash last Saturday. It occurred during his heat race at Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania.
“I got pinched into the fourth-turn wall, flipped end-over-end twice, rolled over and was hit in the roll cage,” said Iatalese, 21, of Germansville, Pennsylvania. “I felt the impact of the other car [from the hit in the roll cage]. That car’s bumper was four inches in front of my helmet. Luckily, that car stopped just in time. My window net was pushed into my helmet.”
Fortunately, Iatalese walked away from the wreck. He sat in a Kirkey full-containment seat, with a Simpson five-point harness. Iatalese wore a Bell helmet paired with a HANS device.
“My safety equipment did its job to protect me,” Iatalese said. “I had to take a moment to collect my marbles after flipping. Once I realized I was okay, I was able to get out of the car on my own.”
His 2019 Bicknell chassis, unfortuantely, did not fare as well.
“There is just nothing left to save,” said Iatalese, who called his car “junk” after the crash.
Two weeks before the wreck, Iatalese won his first feature. Now, he’s looking to find a way to return as soon as possible so he can go after win number two.
“I have another car to put together,” Iatalese said. “I’m hoping to be back this weekend. If not, I will be back next weekend.”
Hunter Iatalese works on his sportsman with his grandfather, Richard Libey. He used to run on pavement ovals, but switched to dirt three years ago. Despite the carnage last Saturday, Iatalese seems pleased with his decision to go dirt racing.
“I’m having much more fun on dirt, despite destroying my car,” said Iatalese. “It takes more talent and skill to control a car on dirt.”
Mike Adaskaveg has written hundreds of stories since the website’s inception. This year marks his 54th year of covering auto racing. Adaskaveg got his start working for track photographer Lloyd Burnham at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 1970. Since then, he’s been a columnist, writer, and photographer, in racing and in mainstream media, for several outlets, including the Journal Inquirer, Boston Herald, Stock Car Racing, and Speedway Illustrated. Among Adaskaveg’s many awards are the 1992 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Ace Lane Photographer of the Year and the 2019 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) George Cunningham Writer of the Year.
