Michael Park's Fatal Crash @ Wales Rally GB 2005 (Aftermath)

The Peugeot 307 WRC driven by Markko Martin-Michael Park went off the road at km 27.4 of the first run through Margam Park, Wales UK, during Special Stage 15 of the "Wales Rally GB", the 12th round of the 2005 World Rally Championship season. Their car slammed into a tree on the passenger side. Michael Park was killed on impact. The driver, Markko Martin, escaped injury.<br /><br />The stage was immediately stopped, and the remaining two Special Stages were cancelled as soon as the officials learned of the tragedy. Peugeot withdrew their second car, driven by Marcus Gronholm, who would have finished third, as a mark of respect. Sebastien Loeb, who held a substantial lead in the rally, elected to take a time penality, thus dropping him to third in the overall classification behind Petter Solberg and François Duval. Loeb did not want to clinch the 2005 WRC Championship under the cloud of this day's terrible loss. Instead of a victory celebration at the end of the event, all of the teams gathered in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium to observe a minute of silence in respect to their fallen comrade.<br /><br />Michael "Beef" Park was one of the top co-drivers of his generation, and one of the best in UK rallying history. Well known, well liked and well-respected by all in the rally world community, he was first attracted to the sport when he watched a road rally passing near his home in the Heresfordshire when he was only ten. When he was twenty he began his rallying career by reading notes for Andy Gwynne, a driver in the local 1986 Hereford Novices Road Rally held near his home town. He added valuable experience by co-driving with many of Britain's best drivers, including Richard Burns, Colin McRae, Steve Bennett, Robbie Head, David Llewellyn, and the brothers Derek and Mark Higgins in British National and European Rallys.<br /><br />R.I.P