Earnhardt Jr. burned in ALMS practice crash, Resting comfortably
By Marty Smith, Turner Sports Interactive
July 19, 2004
10:19 AM EDT (14:19 GMT)
SONOMA, Calif. -- -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be held overnight for observation after suffering minor second degree burns on the inner sides of both legs and on his chin. His injuries were sustained during a Sunday morning accident while practicing for the American Le Mans Series at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California.
Track spokesman John Cardinale said Earnhardt was transported to the University of California-Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, Infineon's designated hospital for burn treatment.
A hospital spokesman said that Earnhardt was "resting comfortably" at University of California-Davis Medical Center and would be examined again Monday morning.
According to an American Le Mans Series statement, Earnhardt was driving a Chevrolet Corvette C5-R in a 30-minute practice session when the accident occurred. The car spun and impacted a barrier in the Turn 8 section of the road-racing track, then caught fire. Earnhardt quickly exited the car on his own, and was then assisted by safety crews.
"We had an unfortunate incident in morning warmup today with our No. 8 Corvette," Doug Fehan, program manager for Corvette Racing, said. "The accident was caused by a combination of many factors, including a slick race track, cold tires and a full tank of fuel. The hit was so hard that it broke the filler neck off the fuel cell and caused a fire. We know Dale Jr. wishes he could be back here at the race with us and we're going to try to win this one for him."
Earnhardt, who regularly competes in NASCAR's Nextel Cup Series, was scheduled to co-drive in today's Infineon Grand Prix of Sonoma with veteran road racing driver Boris Said. The team has withdrawn the car from the race.
"I'm bummed out and disappointed I couldn't run the race," Earnhardt said through a team spokesman. "I hope Corvette gets the victory."
Emergency crews work to extinguish Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car after he crashed into a barrier during practice in Sonoma. Credit: AP