Motor Sports Spinal Injury
I had the privilege of treating Chris’s spine as a result of pain he had developed from the rigors of motoracing!
Chris Alajajian, 21, is a rising star in the world of motorsport. Since Chris started racing go-karts at the age of 11, he has progressed through the motorsport ranks as he works to reach his goal; success at the highest levels of the sport.
Later in 2007, Chris was offered a drive in the prestigious A1 Grand Prix – World Cup of Motorsport. In 2007, he continued the Fujitsu Development Series. Starting late in the second round, he opened his campaign with a win from the second row at Wakefield Park. During mid-2006, Chris, racing with Protecnica, competed in the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Development Series (undercard to V8 Supercars). Despite showing great pace and again exhibiting his potential, he was unfortunate not to maintain a consistent drive. After a mid-season run of bad-luck despite a dashing early dual championship-leading start, Chris finished the Formula 3 championship in third place, including a crushing win in the A1 Grand Prix support races at Eastern Creek. He set a series-high seven fastest race laps. Chris also gave the Protecnica Racing Subaru WRX STi a workout during a limited schedule in the Australian Performance Car Championship. Despite only contesting just over half of the rounds, Chris recorded a series-high five race wins. Not content with the tarmac, he even tried his hand at rallying, with a drive in the WPS Rally Bathurst in the Subaru RS Challenge where he adapted well. Formula 3 was the primary focus of Chris’ season, where despite changing teams twice during a turbulent mid-season, he finished third in the championship. He won a race in the opening round of the year to lead the championship in its early phases, and scored a pair of podium finishes in the Australian Grand Prix non-championship support races. In 2005, Chris once again raced tin-tops and open wheelers. In line with Chris’ goal of racing in Formula 1, he contested a pair of rounds of the Australian Formula 3 Championship. In just his second Formula 3 event, Chris scored a pair of podium finishes in the support races at the Lexmark Indy 300 on the Gold Coast. Midway through 2004, a new career path beckoned; open wheelers.
In the penultimate round, Alajajian sealed the Outright title, becoming the youngest ever driver to win an Australian National Championship. He complimented his duties in the Production Car Championship with a number of starts in the GT-Performance Car Championship, driving a Subaru WRX STi, also for Protecnica Racing.
In 2004, he joined the Protecnica Racing team, returning to the Production Car ranks. Driving a Subaru Liberty GT, he picked up where he left off at Bathurst and was the dominant force in the championship, winning both the Class A and Outright Championships.
At Bathurst later that year, he created a piece of history. In the 2-hour Showroom Showdown (support race for the Bathurst 24hr), he drove the BMW to a class victory and 12th outright in atrocious conditions, becoming the youngest driver to win a race at the famed Mount Panorama circuit.
Chris burst onto the Australian racing scene in a big way. In mid-2003, aged just 16, he made his debut in the Australian Production Car Championship. He finished third in the Class C standings in a BMW 323i; dazzling many along the way with sensational car control and speed.
After making an impact in his birth country of Australia, Chris now competes in the A1 Grand Prix – World Cup of Motorsport