2 Hurt in Crash at Car Club Race

IRVINE — Two men were seriously injured Sunday afternoon when their sports car crashed into a tree during an organized race in the parking lot of Lion Country Center, the site of the former Lion Country Safari theme park.

The 4:40 p.m. accident occurred in the middle of a timed race on a slalom course organized by the Sports Car Club of America, said Irvine Police Sgt. Tom Hume.

“The cars race against the clock,” Hume said. “This car was rounding a corner and, for some unknown reason, the driver went straight, left the paved area and struck a tree. We don’t know if there was a malfunction of the car or if the driver just lost control.”

Both the driver of the car, John Hartley Clark, 52, of Rolling Hills Estates, and his passenger, Eric Karl Lindquist, 37, of Riverside, suffered head injuries and were airlifted to Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo, where they underwent surgery Sunday night, Hume said.

Both men were wearing seat belts and helmets when the accident occurred.

The race, called a “fun run,” is one of at least six such events held each year at the now-closed theme park, at 8800 Irvine Center Drive. A driver and a passenger each get three turns through the slalom course marked by traffic cones, Hume said.