LOW ALT CIVIL OP. SMA IN AIR RACE HITS OBSTRUCTION NOT VISIBLE PWR LINE.

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I WAS PARTICIPATING IN A XCOUNTRY AIR RACE WHERE GND SPD IS WHAT DETERMINES YOUR SCORE. BECAUSE OF HEADWINDS; THE BEST GND SPD COULD BE ATTAINED BY FLYING AS CLOSE TO THE GND AS POSSIBLE AND PRUDENT. I WAS STAYING 500 FT FROM ALL BUILDINGS; PEOPLE; ETC; BUT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WAS OVER AN OPEN FIELD WITH NO VISIBLE WIRES; ETC. THE AREA I WAS FLYING OVER WAS PROLIFIC WITH ELECTRIC AND PHONE LINES AND PWR LINES BUT THEY WERE EASY TO SEE AND AVOID. SUDDENLY; THERE WAS A LOUD 'WHAP' AND MY PERCEPTION WAS THAT A BIRD HAD HIT THE WINDSHIELD AND I ASKED; 'WHAT THE H--- WAS THAT?' MY COPLT SAID IT WAS A WIRE. SHE HAD SEEN IT OUT THE CORNER OF HER EYE BUT TOO LATE TO DO ANYTHING. WE IMMEDIATELY CLBED TO A HIGHER ALT AND TOOK ASSESSMENT OF THE AIRPLANE AND WERE SO INVOLVED IN THAT DETERMINATION; WE NEVER EVEN NOTED OUR LOCATION. BY THE TIME WE DETERMINED WE WERE STILL AIRWORTHY; I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT LIABILITY TO THE PWR COMPANY SINCE THOSE LINES ARE SO FREQUENTLY CUT BY FARM MACHINERY BUT AFTER LATER REFLECTION; I REALIZED I SHOULD CONTACT THEM BUT DID NOT THEN KNOW WHERE IT HAD HAPPENED EXCEPT BY TIME FRAME. I COULD HAVE PREVENTED THE INCIDENT BY FLYING HIGHER AND BEING MORE ALERT. THE PRESSURE OF WANTING TO PERFORM WELL IN THE RACE CAUSED ME TO FLY AT AN ALT I WOULD NEVER NORMALLY CONSIDER.