Actor Bana unhurt in rally crash

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/entertainment/6579163.stm

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Movie star Eric Bana has crashed his car into trees while taking part in a rally in Australia, but he and his co-driver were unhurt.

The actor was unable to continue the Targa Tasmania rally owing to damage to the 1974 Ford XB Coupe that he has owned since the age of 15.

Bana said the crash happened after he "misjudged a tight left-hander and we went in a little too fast".

The 38-year-old Australian has starred in films including Troy and Munich.

He and co-driver Tony Ramunno had been in 53rd place from a field of 115 cars in the Outright Classic section of the rally.

It's a real shame, but that's motor racing Eric Bana "We were still being cautious but we had found a fairly comfortable rhythm and were really starting to enjoy ourselves as we got used to the car," Bana told the Associated Press news agency.

"But I misjudged a tight left-hander and we went in a little too fast - the car understeered off the road and got onto the gravel and we went into a couple of trees at a fairly low speed."

He added: "The car is a little battered on the driver's side which is a real shame, as many hours had been spent reshaping its original panels to get it just right.

"It's a real shame, but that's motor racing."

Bana won an Australian Film Institute best actor award for his breakthrough performance in the 2000 crime movie Chopper.

He has since enjoyed a Hollywood career, including the lead role in the 2003 big-screen version of Hulk.