Ruapuna Speedway crash: Sprint car driver Kevin Ban in serious condition, $20k raised

Kevin Ban (pictured racing here in 2020) faces a long road to recovery after suffering burns in a March 8 crash. Photo / Facebook

• Kevin Ban is facing a long recovery after suffering serious burns in a Ruapuna Speedway crash.
• The driver is in a serious but stable condition at Middlemore Hospital’s National Burn Centre.
• A Givealittle page has raised nearly $20,000 to support Ban and his family during his recovery.

The driver of a sprint car that crashed at Ruapuna Speedway near Christchurch is facing a long road to recovery after suffering serious burns.

Kevin Ban remains in a serious but stable condition in the National Burn Centre at Middlemore Hospital, after the March 8 crash.

A Givealittle post by Ban’s partner, Tania Curtin, says the speedway driver will “face a long recovery”.

Curtin says he’s receiving the “best possible burns care”.

Ban was competing in the first sprint car heat on March 8 when he was involved in a crash - causing fuel to ignite immediately.

In a statement shared with the Herald, the speedway company described it as a “freak accident”.

Bridget Roxburgh from Ruapuna Speedway told the Herald she had “never seen anything like it” in all her years in racing.

Kevin Ban remains in Middlemore Hospital with serious burns after a crash at Ruapuna Speedway. Photo / Facebook

The Givealittle page was launched on March 14 and already has close to $20,000 in donations.

“As our family navigate the early days of this journey, we’re reaching out to friends, family, and the community for support.

“Donations will go toward supporting Kevin and his family, and keeping things ticking over while he’s unable to run his business,” says Curtin.

She says the funds will also help the family with flights to Auckland and the “stuff ACC doesn’t cover”.

Curtin says any money that is left over will be kept aside “as an emergency fund for future victims of motorsport incidents”.