Horror sidecar crash: Lene Laise was luckier than Simoncelli

Following the accident in the second heat of the international sidecar class on the short grass track in Noordvolde, an hour’s drive south-west of Groningen, the worst was feared. Passenger Lene Laise was struck by her own motorbike during a rollover and was subsequently run over by a competitor, as it later transpired. The 21-year-old was taken to hospital in Zwolle, where she was placed in an induced coma for several hours. When the doctors brought her round, her condition improved rapidly and she was allowed to return home to the Palatinate as early as Sunday evening; the doctors treating her do not expect any long-term effects.

Lene was driven to Zweibrücken by her sidecar pilot, Imanuel Schramm; in the converted Sprinter, she was able to lie down whenever she needed to, which was much more comfortable for the injured racer than travelling in a car. On Monday, Lene slept a lot; her body first needs to metabolise all the strong medication. On top of that, she is now feeling not only the effects of the severe concussion but also all the other consequences of the crash.

Bruises on her back and shoulders

“Despite her airbag jacket, her whole back and shoulders are bruised,” Schramm explained in an interview with SPEEDWEEK.com. “Our sidecar team landed on top of her a bit, but that was harmless. However, you can see on her suit how the other sidecar team ran over her. Then I went over and watched the high-resolution video of the accident. It’s now clear to me: she hit the track with her helmet on her head, then the other sidecar team came up from behind and ran over her, ripping the helmet off her head in the process. We always check each other’s helmets before the race to make sure they’re fastened. Hers definitely was. She has a small head and wears an XS helmet. You can see scratch marks and dents on the back of the helmet; the collision pulled the helmet from the back to the front of her head.”

Probably the most famous accident in motorcycling history, in which a rider’s helmet was ripped off his head during a crash, is that of Marco Simoncelli. The Italian was run over by his mate Valentino Rossi at the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix – the horrific MotoGP images are etched into the memories of many fans. Lene Laise was incredibly lucky; her collision did not end as tragically as that of ‘SuperSic’.

Yet her helmet was still ripped from her head.

Imanuel Schramm

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This coming Saturday, 25 July, the Challenge for the European Grass Track Sidecar Championship will take place on the sand track in Werlte; the final of the championship will be held on 30 August in Berghaupten – almost a home race for Schramm, who hails from Upper Swabia. Lene is now feeling well enough again that she is considering competing in Werlte, as she is determined to reach her first European Championship final. Schramm and Laise have also already secured their licence for the European Championship. One potential problem is that the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) normally suspends riders for ten days following a concussion as a precautionary measure – regardless of a doctor’s assessment of the situation. In this case, competing in the Emsland would be impossible and Schramm/Laise would have to hope for one of the two wildcards for Berghaupten.