BEN BRAY INJURED IN FREAK WORKSHOP ACCIDENT .

Young drag racing star Ben Bray and a crewmember of Team Bray, Australia's best known Top Doorslammer team, have been seriously injured in a freak accident while loading a car into a transporter at the team's workshop yesterday. Another crewmember luckily escaped with minor injuries.

Ben was in the car and Mark 'Choc' Richmond and Anthony Vloedmans were on the transporter's tailgate, which had just reached its full extension some three metres off the ground when the tailgate lifting mechanism failed, sending the tailgate and the vehicle crashing to the ground.

After being stabilised at the scene, all three were taken by ambulance to Royal Brisbane Hospital, Ben with extensive injuries to his back and Mark to his leg. Anthony's injuries will require bed rest and he was released the same day after being examined by doctors. Ben and Mark are expected to be in hospital for some time, while the full extent of their injuries is determined.

"We'd like to thank everybody who has rung us expressing their concern," said Ben's father Victor. "Ben would like to apologise to all his fans in Perth, particularly, because he now won't be able to make the upcoming Top Alcohol event at Kwinana and at this early stage were not sure when Ben will return to racing, it all depends on the doctors and how quickly he recovers.

"Everyone at Team Bray is hoping Choc makes a quick recovery too because he's been a valuable member of the team for five years and we're also grateful that Anthony wasn't badly hurt."