Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 7, 1990 TAG: 9007070322
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: FRANK VEHORN LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. LENGTH: Medium
Waltrip, who had been looking forward to his 500th Winston Cup start in today's Pepsi 400, fractured his left leg and left elbow and suffered a concussion during a series of wrecks that involved six other drivers.
Dr. Steve Alson, a member of the speedway's trauma unit, said Waltrip probably will be out of action for two months.
Jimmy Horton, an Automobile Racing Club of America driver, will steer Waltrip's backup car today.
Horton, 34, of Folsom, N.J., has won four consecutive ARCA superspeedway races, including one here in February, but most of his racing experience has been on short tracks in the Northeast.
A track spokesman said Waltrip was listed in serious but stable condition at Halifax Memorial Hospital, where he was taken after being cut from his wrecked car.
Waltrip was to decide whether to have the surgery at Halifax or be flown to Indianapolis and have the surgery performed by Dr. Terry Trammell, an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in racing injuries.
Drivers Terry Labonte and Dave Marcis also were transported to Halifax Memorial Hospital, where they were examined and released.
Mark Martin, Ernie Irvan and Phil Barkdoll were examined and released from the track care center. They, along with Labonte and Marcis, planned to start today's race in backup cars.
Bill Elliott only slightly damaged his Ford Thunderbird when he barely touched Martin's car and spun on the bottom of the track.
The crash was blamed on grease leaking from the rear end of A.J. Foyt's car, being driven at the time by Dale Earnhardt. Labonte's Oldsmobile spun in the grease and hit the wall in the third turn.
Martin's car smashed into Labonte's car as it came off the wall, and Waltrip spun down on the track.
Observers said Waltrip's car had come to a stop when Marcis spun and slid into it at a high speed.
Waltrip was unconscious when emergency personnel first reached his car, but he quickly regained consciousness, a track spokesman said.
Marcis was helped from his car and carried to the infield care center. He suffered bruises and cuts and told NASCAR officials he planned to drive only one lap in today's race.
Labonte walked from his damaged car to an emergency vehicle. He was taken to the hospital after complaining of pain in his neck.
Labonte returned to the speedway after X-rays taken at the hospital were negative.
"My neck is a little sore, but I feel all right," he said. "I won't have any problems in driving the car in the race."
All six teams that required backup cars will have to drop to the rear of the field before taking the green flag.
Martin had qualified his Ford to start on the front row, beside pole-winner Greg Sacks.
"We'll take the engine out of the car that was wrecked and put it in the backup car. We'll be all right. All of our cars are good ones," Martin said.
Labonte at first thought he had blown an engine that dumped oil on the track to trigger the accidents.
"I was the lead car in our pack and I was the first one to spin, so I thought the oil was from my car," he said.
"The car started spinning and went head-on into the wall."
Martin also thought Labonte had blown an engine to trigger the accident until he was told that the grease had come from Foyt's car.
The International Race of Champions event scheduled today on the temporary road circuit at Cleveland's Burke Lakefront Airport was to include five NASCAR Winston Cup drivers, including Waltrip who is out for certain, and Labonte, who wasn't sure if he would be able to make the second race.
Rusty Wallace, Labonte, Waltrip, Earnhardt and Martin, were to fly by private jet to Cleveland for a 30-lap, 74-mile race after the Pepsi 400.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB