A BANGER car driver had to be cut out of his vehicle by fire crews after a dramatic crash at a north Hampshire racetrack.

It took firefighters from Tadley and Reading fire stations an hour and 20 minutes to cut trapped driver Chris Muspratt free after he crashed into a metal safety barrier near the pit gate during an event at the Paices Hill course at Aldermaston Raceway, which hosts banger racing events.

The fire crews rushed to the scene at 2.50pm on March 6 after they were told that a man was trapped inside the banger. They had to cut off the roof of the vehicle, a hot hatch, to free the driver.

No other cars were involved in the incident and Mr Muspratt was taken to the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading with minor injuries. The 38-year-old, from Andover, was discharged later that day.

Racetrack owner Gwen Roberts said: “It was quite dramatic initially, but he wasn’t seriously hurt. We usually have our own team on site to deal with incidents like these, but unfortunately there was no one available on the day.

“The fire crew were brilliant but it’s a bit of a shame that they had to be called. We haven’t had to call them out for nearly 10 years.”

At the same event, another racing driver, Paul Dreelan, was taken to hospital by car after colliding with the safety barrier and breaking his ankle.

The 38-year-old van driver, from Iver, Buckinghamshire, also suffered torn ligaments and needed his leg put in plaster.

Miss Roberts said: “Cars are deadly machines and I always stress that to all of the drivers.

“Banger racing can be a very dangerous sport.”