Sentencing the pair on Thursday, Judge Douglas Brown described both Nimmo’s and Clark’s driving as “utterly irresponsible and highly dangerous”.
He said the risk of causing serious harm had been obvious but the pair had ignored it with devastating consequences.
The judge said witnesses had seen Nimmo and Clark racing at what they estimated as 90mph but CCTV video evidence suggested they recorded as much as 111mph and were just half a second apart.
He said that they had narrowly avoided a collision just moments earlier.
Ms Hodge, who had been in the van with Ms McKinlay, was said to have described the impact of the crash as “like an explosion”.
The judge said she suffered serious injuries from which she feels she will never recover.
Ms Hodge also spoke of the massive psychological trauma of seeing her colleague die beside her.
Nimmo’s Audi’s was said to have disintegrated on impact but the driver was cut from the wreckage, suffering serious injuries.
The judge said Clark avoided the crash and drove on, hoping to avoid detection.
Clark’s lawyer told the court that his client maintained his innocence regarding the offence, while Nimmo’s defence emphasised the significant impact the incident had had on his career in aeronautical engineering as well as on his personal relationships.
The judge said the perception might be that Nimmo was the one accountable as he was involved in the crash but he said the pair were jointly responsible for the harm caused.
That’s why they received the same sentence of eight years in prison and a driving ban for the next 12 years, he said.