[Melz]

Some news going around the traps is that Chock (Team Bray truck driver) has had a couple knee operations and Ben has smashed a couple vertebrae and won't be racing for a couple of months....

An update from the site

11th November, 2006
BEN BRAY MAKING STEADY RECOVERY FROM BACK INJURIES.

After suffering fractured and chipped vertebrae in a freak workshop accident last Tuesday, dual Top Doorslammer champion and reigning Top Alcohol champion, Ben Bray, is making a steady recovery and is slowly on the mend, his father Victor said.

"Ben's come a long way now that the initial pain has subsided. The first few days in hospital weren't that happy for him, laying flat on his back, but they've put a back brace on him and allowed him to tilt his head up 30 degrees and he said it felt like winning the Nationals; he was a lot happier.

"The physios are showing him how to use the brace and what he can and can't do and Ben's being as good a boy as he possibly can because he's looking forward to getting out of hospital. He's still facing a fairly long recovery period, though, and he'll need home rest and to learn how to use the brace at home, because he's not allowed to bend his back at all at the moment.

"He's got to let his back repair, he can't risk injuring it further, but it'll keep him out of the Funny Car a lot longer than the Doorslammer because when the Funny Car shakes, it's a lot worse than the Doorslammer. Ben's missing preparing the cars but at this stage racing isn't the number one priority, for a change."

Crewmember Mark 'Choc' Richmond also remains in hospital. Choc, who was already an amputee, suffered a badly damaged ankle and has already undergone two of three operations to clean out the wounds and reattach ligaments, Vic said.

"Choc's hoping his final operation will be today (Saturday) but he's doing well; he's an old hand at this after going through a lot when he lost his other leg after a motorcycle accident. He's had a lot of trauma in his life and he just handles it; nothing phases him."