Jensen Shearer’s GT4 car impacts the wall heavily in Race 1 at Sandown. Image: Fox Sports
Shearer had been battling with Cody Burcher int he #118 Ford Mustang for the back end of the outright top five in the early stages of Saturday’s Race 1.
The pair came together at the end of Sandown’s fast back straight, with wheel-to-wheel contact sending Shearer off the road at high speed and into the Armco barrier before sliding into the run-off at Turn 6 and heavily into the tyre wall.
Shearer was due to start third for Race 2 on Sunday, however the damage to the car was significant, and Shearer himself was battered in the impact.
Appearing on the Sunday broadcast, Shearer said he was “shaken up” from the incident, with the heavy impact taking its toll.
“I was knocked out in the car for about five seconds,” Shearer said.
“[I have] a concussion, and was having nightmares last night, but I’m feeling ok, the body’s ok and everything’s intact so I’m sure I’ll recover.”
Shearer was frustrated with the way Burcher raced him given the cars compete in two separate classes, with Burcher in Silver-Am partnering Dean Campbell, and Shearer in the outright Silver Cup.
“I gave him [Burcher] a bit of a gap into Turn 4 and he went past me on the straight,” Shearer added.
“Going into the braking zone I just saw him moving across on me and pushed me into the grass, and I was max power on the brakes and there was just nowhere for me to go.
“Super devastating to be racing like that against someone not even in our class, it’s really disappointing driving. Not much you can do, we signed up for it.”
Shearer took to social media overnight to express further disappointment with the incident.
“Multi-class racing only works if everyone respects the cars around them. A drive-through penalty for that doesn’t come close to matching the damage done,” Shearer’s post read.
“And the damage is real. Losing the car is a huge hit for us and it makes 2027 a lot harder. We’ll work it out, but it definitely hurts.
“To the 80 people who came out to Sandown to watch me race, I’m genuinely so grateful. Seeing that many of you in one place meant more than I can put into words, and I’m so sorry you didn’t get the finish you came for.
“It’s been a good season, with podiums, a maiden pole, and a lot to be proud of. This isn’t how I wanted it to end, but it’s not the end.”