Attard Rescues Saller From Burning Wreck After Thunder on the Downs Crash
- Sprintcar driver Mick Saller admitted he felt like an arse after confronting rival Jessie Attard following a fiery crash at Toowoomba Speedway on September 26, 2026.
- The pair were battling for second position and the final transfer spot through to the A-Main when the incident occurred with 17 laps remaining.
- [It’s] something you don’t want obviously, [to be] on fire,” Saller said.
Sprintcar driver Mick Saller admitted he felt like an arse after confronting rival Jessie Attard following a fiery crash at Toowoomba Speedway on September 26, 2026. The collision during the Thunder on the Downs final destroyed both cars and left Saller trapped in a burning wreck before Attard rushed across the track to pull him to safety.
Wheel-to-Wheel Contact Ignites Fire in Toowoomba Final
The pair were battling for second position and the final transfer spot through to the A-Main when the incident occurred with 17 laps remaining. Attard had worked his way forward through the opening laps before both drivers targeted the same piece of track in Turn 3. Their wheel-to-wheel contact pitched Saller’s car into a rollover, landing heavily on the rear end and splitting the fuel cell. Flames erupted and quickly spread around the cockpit of Saller’s battered machine, forcing race officials to halt the event immediately as fire crews worked to control the blaze. Saller later described the fire as his biggest fear in racing, noting that his size made it difficult to exit the car quickly.
[It’s] something you don’t want obviously, [to be] on fire,” Saller said. “We’ve got the best safety gear. I feel like I was on fire for a while, but I feel all right. I might have a couple of burns on my arms underneath.
Mick Saller
Rivalry Gives Way to Rescue and Remorse
As emergency crews arrived, Attard climbed out of his own car and sprinted toward the scene, reaching into the flames to pull Saller free. Television footage captured Saller being restrained by fire marshals as he vented immediate frustrations toward Attard. Saller acknowledged that while he felt Jessie was asking for it during the race, his perspective shifted once he realized who had pulled him from the wreckage.
[But] I can’t respect him enough, I didn’t know that he ran in. I feel like an arse for wanting to kick his head in, and it shows that he is a good person at heart when the helmet’s and I’m on fire that he runs in,” Saller said. “It’s a testament to the sort of person Jessie is when the helmet’s off, for him to run in and help me, but the rest is the rest, I’m on fire and feeling 100 emotions.
Mick Saller
Driver Perspectives on the Racing Incident
Attard addressed the crash via social media, confirming he emerged from the incident unscathed and without burns or serious injuries. He explained that his immediate instinct upon seeing the fire was to ensure his competitor was safe.
As for the incident itself, I had no idea of the run Mick had going into the corner, and that’s something I take responsibility for,” Attard’s post read. “Mick also probably wasn’t aware that I had been running the bottom for the previous couple of laps, which ultimately led to a racing incident.
Jessie Attard
Attard also praised Saller for how he handled his post-race interview under intense adrenaline. Meanwhile, Lachie McHugh dominated the rest of the A-Main program, claiming back-to-back victories on Friday and Saturday nights for his seventh career Thunder on the Downs feature race win. McHugh finished ahead of reigning Australian champion Jock Goodyer and third-placed Henry Titman. Both Attard and Saller expressed hope that their respective teams can repair the extensive damage in time for the next meeting at Nowra.