Kyle Douglas believes he was placed on Earth for one factor and solely factor solely – to drive quick vehicles.

The self-described revhead travels throughout the nation collaborating in high-octane drag racing and burnout competitions in his modified ute.

But there’s one occasion that is solid a spell over him – Powercruise.

Powercruise is an newbie cruising automotive occasion that permits anybody to push their automotive’s “performance levels to the limit” by driving as much as 130 kilometres per hour on a racetrack.

It’s authorized and open to anybody, supplied their automotive passes security checks.

“I’d call it nearly an addiction,” Mr Douglas mentioned.

“You do not must be on a giant race crew with hundreds of thousands of {dollars}’ price of vehicles, you’ll be able to exit and construct a automotive with your loved ones and present as much as the observe.”

But the death of one driver earlier this month close to Brisbane has raised questions on how safe newbie automotive racing occasions are.

‘There’s all the time a danger’

Gold Coast man Shane Savage died at the Queensland Raceway when his car rolled during the 93rd instalment of Powercruise Promotions near Brisbane.

Queensland police and Workplace Health and Safety are investigating the incident.

It’s the second fatality at a Brisbane raceway this 12 months, after skilled drag racer Sam Fenech died when he misplaced management of his automotive and collided with a digital camera tower on the Willowbank Raceway in January.

A review into the Willowbank incident by Workplace Health and Safety found safety measures did not contribute to the accident.

Mr Douglas said these incidents cast a shadow over the amateur racing community.

“It’s one thing you by no means wish to see,” he mentioned.

“But on the finish of the day once you put your helmet on and go on the observe, that is a danger that everybody takes.”

It’s the first fatal incident to happen in 20 years of powercruising in Australia, but according to data from the National Coronial Information System, 551 people died in wheeled motorsports activities between 2001 and 2017.

Over 33 per cent of these deaths occurred at a racetrack.

In February, an investigation into the deaths of four Targa Tasmania competitors between 2021 and 2022 found safety, course design and eligibility of vehicles and drivers were key concerns.

In the Northern Territory, an inquest into the death of a spectator at the Finke Desert Race in 2021 heard peak body Motorsports Australia failed to do enough to keep people safe at the remote event.

Mr Douglas said there was a strict safety checklist drivers had to pass before stepping onto the track, but the sport always carried a risk.

“There’s not rather a lot of alternative to get too loopy, as a result of for those who do, you get pulled off the observe,” he mentioned.

“But it is a harmful operation, I’m not strolling the canine within the park, I’m driving a 1,000 plus horsepower burn out automotive.”

Facing ‘unknowns’ on the highway

Vice-president of the Ipswich West Moreton Auto Club Kevin Parkes mentioned deadly incidents rocked the close-knit racing neighborhood.

The car fanatic, who has been involved in his club for 23 years, said the sport attracts racers as young as 14 and as old as 77.

“They come right here, deplete some power and get all of that out of their techniques frequently, so they do not do foolish issues on their very own,” he mentioned.

While the game carried danger, he mentioned common drivers took a danger each time they stepped onto the motorway.

Data from the Queensland government showed 202 people have died on state roads so far in 2023.

“Everything on the highway is unknown,” Mr Parkes mentioned.

“You do not know who’s driving wherever … on a racetrack it is managed and supervised.

“The best thing to do [when there’s a crash] is to see whether or not there’s anything you can learn from that particular incident.

“You, the motive force, are liable for how briskly you go.”