Prize Fighter

Dave remained in an unconscious state for 22 weeks, but his points lead before his accident meant he still won the 1987 australian pro stock championship.

- Dave Cook

FOR Sydney-based Pro Stock racer Dave Missingham, the defining year of his racing career was 1987, and the most significant day of that year was 14 March at Heathcote Park Raceway. This was the year that Missingham would realise his peak racing achievement: winning the points-based Australian Pro Stock Championship. But on that particular evening at Heathcote, during the first round of racing his Cortina appeared to lock up a rear brake at over 140mph in the braking area. The car turned hard right and barrel-rolled numerous times. It was never going to be good.

Missingham was unconscious in the wreck when rescuers arrived. He died on the way to hospital in Bendigo, but was revived by paramedics and was admitted with critical head injuries as well as a broken collarbone, nose and wrist, and badly lacerated hands. His helmet was split from front to back.

The race meeting was abandoned.

Missingham remained in an unconscious state for 22 weeks, but despite being out of action for nearly half the ’87 season, his points lead before his accident meant he still won the 1987 Australian Pro Stock Championship.

At one time, on medical advice that he could not remain alive without mechanical assistance, his life support system was turned off, but he miraculously hung on. His family – wife Dianne, son Wayne and daughter Simone – sustained a round-the-clock vigil over him, talking to him, touching him and giving him different flavoured milkshakes from a nearby fast food outlet, until one day he opened his eyes.

Despite long-term physiotherapy, he never fully recovered his ability to walk and remained largely wheelchair-bound for the remainder of his life. Yet he still had his acute sense of humour and the knowledge of how to run a fast race car, and would often chide Wayne, who took up the family’s racing, on his engine building or other aspects of his vehicle’s preparation.