On the day of his accident, Dave Matravers, 52, a podium finisher at the Isle of Man Grand Prix and a well-known name on the classic scene, was doing a warmup lap at the Brands Hatch racetrack, when his motorbike became a “little bit temperamental” and stalled suddenly.
Dave says:
“As it was a practice lap, it shouldn’t have been that dangerous, but I suppose any stalling on a racetrack is bad news. The first thing I did was to desperately wave my hands around to warn people that I was ‘dead in the water’ so to speak.”
However soon afterwards, a motorbike travelling at 70 mph, collided with Dave, the force of which propelled him into the air, before he was hit again by another rider.
Photo of Dave Matravers racing at Brands Hatch the day before his accident © Lee Hollick
He explains,
“I knew then that my legs had snapped, and I was in a pretty bad way. But I thought if I could just pull myself forward with my arms, I could straighten my legs. But the medics, who were straight on the scene told me not to move. I was dropping in and out of consciousness, not sure whether I was dead or alive.”
According to Dave, his legs “were a little messed up,” but the role of the HELP Appeal funded helipad at King’s College Hospital was “huge” in getting him to emergency care quickly.
Dave is doubtful for the first time in his life about whether he’ll ever race again:
“I was in the Gulf War, so I’ve been in very intense situations before, but this accident has affected me more than I realise. I was due to compete in more races across the country, but I honestly don’t know when I’ll get back to riding again. This one hurt and I don’t know if I can keep bouncing back. I have managed it a few times, but I think I’m getting old…”
