Australia’s and New Zealand’s motor racing community has been plunged into mourning once again after the death on Sunday of driver Mark Porter, who died after a sickening crash at Bathhurst’s Mt. Panorama racetrack on Friday Oct. 9.

The 31-year-old New Zealander was racing in a V8 development series race when he suddenly loss control of his vehicle and spun into oncoming traffic where he was hit by fellow driver David Clark.

Both Clark and Porter were rushed to hospital where Porter was put on life support but never regained consciousness. Clark has woken up and is recovering from injuries that are believed to include a punctured lung and fractures to his pelvis and right arm and leg.

Porter’s death was a doubly tragic blow for the sport of V8 Supercars, with the weekend's racing, culminating in the feature Bathurst 1000 race, having been dedicated to the memory of legendary driver Peter Brock, who died in a rally accident last month.

Porter died two hours after the completion of the Bathurst 1000 which won by Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup.

Porter’s family released a statement on Sunday night advising that Porter has passed away and thanking those who had offered their support.

“The family wishes to convey their heartfelt appreciation for the efforts of the medical crews who have been involved all the way through – at the track, at the Bathurst Base Hospital and at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, and all of those who transported Mark between those facilities. They gave Mark every chance at life, for which we thank them."

The family also expressed their appreciation of the efforts of the officials of V8 Supercars Australia, all of whom have done their utmost to support all those involved in this tragedy.

"The family conveys their best wishes to David Clark and those close to him and wishes him a complete recovery," the Porter family's statement read. 

Porter is the fourth driver to die at the racetrack in the past 20 years, following the deaths of Mike Burgmann in 1986, Denny Hulme in 1992 and Don Watson in 1994.