ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, March 17, 1997 TAG: 9703180110
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: AUTO RACING
SOURCE: FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTS
NASCAR truck series driver John Nemechek sustained a severe brain injury in a crash during the Florida Dodge Dealers 400 in Homestead, Fla., a race won Sunday by rookie Kenny Irwin.
Nemechek, the 27-year-old brother of Winston Cup driver Joe Nemechek, 33, was listed in extremely critical condition after admission to the neurological intensive care unit at Jackson Hospital Ryder Trauma Center in Miami.
Dr. Stephen Olvey, the Metro-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex medical director, said Nemechek, a Lakeland native, had a severe hemorrhage. He underwent a minor procedure to relieve pressure to his brain.
Nemechek, whose brother raced Sunday in the NASCAR Busch series event at Las Vegas, was injured when his truck hit the wall in turn 1 on the 144th lap at the 1.57-mile track.
A second driver, Jay Sauter, also was taken to Jackson Hospital after his truck collided with Tobey Butler's in turn 4 on the 157th lap. Sauter, who sustained a concussion, was listed in serious but stable condition. Butler was not injured.
The 27-year-old Irwin became the first rookie driver to win in the series, now in its third year. He passed Jack Sprague on lap 165, then held on over the final two trips around the rectangular track.
Irwin, last year's U.S. Auto Club national midget champion, held off Mike Bliss's Ford at the checkered flag, to win the $467,634 race by .289 seconds.
Irwin, who drove a Ford, ran in the top five for most of the race, which was slowed to a 98.564 mph average by 11 yellow flags consuming 52 laps. The Indianapolis driver, who won $44,750, also became the series' youngest winner.
``We just ran hard all day,'' said Irwin, whose truck is co-owned by retired NBA all-star Brad Daugherty. ``We made some changes at the [halfway] stop and got [the handling] a little bit closer.''
Miller took over the NASCAR Craftsman championship race with 468 points to 465 for previous leader Rich Bickle.
In other auto racing:
Grand National: Jeff Green passed Tim Steele with 14 laps remaining for his first career Grand National victory in the inaugural NASCAR Busch Series Las Vegas 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Green, who started from the pole in a Chevrolet, led 70 of the 200 laps on the 1 1/2-mile oval. He earned $89,250, the second-highest amount ever won by a driver in the 16-year history of the series. Dick Trickle was second in a Chevy.
Todd Bodine, third in a Pontiac, has a 35-point advantage in the point standings over second-place Phil Parsons, and a 99-point advantage over Randy LaJoie.
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS. John Nemechek's truck goes into theby CNBwall as it comes out of turn 1 at the Homestead MotorSport Complex.
Nemechek suffered a severe brain injury.