Rudd Sent to Hospital After Incident

Update: Separated Shoulder?

The NASCAR Scene had this to say about Ricky Rudd's Injury:

Rudd, driver of the No. 88 Robert Yates Racing Ford, separated his left shoulder according to FoxSports.com. NASCAR officials would only confirm that Rudd injured that shoulder.

For a guy who's driven a race and won at Martinsville with eyelids taped open, I'll bet he'll be back for Richmond.

Original: Ricky Rudd appeared to come up a little lame, if you will, after a drivers-side hit against the California Speedway frontstretch wall during Sunday night's Sharp Aquos 500.

Rudd, the driver of Robert Yates' No. 88 Ford Fusion, was taken to the hospital via ambulance, and he was later treated and released. Remember, though, that "treated" can mean a number of things. (In other words, Kenny Wallace might be needed for stand-by duties at Richmond.)

The incident that Rudd, who's retiring from full-time competition (again) after 2007, was involved in happened on lap 180 when NASCAR point leader Jeff Gordon slid into the side of Jeremy Mayfield off of turn four. Mayfield clipped David Reutimann who spun towards the infield grass, but not before catching the rear-end of Rudd's Ford. Rudd's car then impacted the frontstretch wall nearly flat on with the driver's door.

What Were They Thinking?
"They" being the California Speedway track safety workers.

Michael Waltrip was involved in the other serious incident of the night at California -- at least the one that will get way overplayed on ESPN -- when Waltrip cut a tire that had been rubbing entering turn three.
The exploding tire caught an oil line in the left front which burst and then caught on fire.

Waltrip came to sliding stop at the base of turn four and safety vehicles were on the scene quickly, but not a single worker made a quick attempt to help Waltrip get out of the car, much less put out the burning car.

It's easy to play a Monday-morning track safety worker, but if those safety workers were on a high school football team, they'd be running wind sprints for a very visual lack of effort. Come on dudes, fire isn't good!

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

9-03-2007 @ 7:15AM

mark said...

The rooster always gets caught in those other idiots wrecks. He has not caught a break all year long. But that is what happens when your owner gives you a piece of sh-t to drive!!!

9-03-2007 @ 9:42AM

racing20guy said...

Uh..Mark...Waltrip ows his own cars.
But, yeah, the track workers were really slow to get him out of the car. I was watching it thinking, Damn Mikey, hurry up and get your ass outta there! Then the track worker that was there just stood there at the door watching him. Of course, we don't know the whole story. Mikey may have told the guy to back off and let me get out of here on my own. Waltrip is a very big guy, about 6'5" and 250 lbs., and may have felt could get out faster without the dude helping him out. That is still no reason for them not to have been busy with the fire extinguishers!

9-03-2007 @ 1:53PM

The U is Dead said...

Hell.......He took so long to get out as to give Toyota some exposure.....This the most camera time he has had all year...MW is without a doubt....the most overated driver in nascar history......

9-04-2007 @ 4:52AM

David K said...

I know... WTF! It was like the safety crew were mesmerized by the flames or something. Maybe they figured they'd put Mikey out of his misery... but it was just weird watching that. I was yelling at the TV - "Y'know, guys, the car IS on fire!" Maybe that's just california and the track crew had just taken their "medicine."

9-04-2007 @ 9:00AM

IowaMama said...

Uh racing20guy, Mark was referring to "The Rooster" as Ricky Rudd....for those of you who haven't been fans of NASCAR for more than 20 minutes, that's his nickname.

The owner Mark is referring to is Yates....not Mikey.

9-04-2007 @ 10:39AM

Maveness said...

Mikey said on Inside Nextel Cup that when the safety workers showed up, they asked if he was getting out. He said "Are you going to put out the fire so I CAN get out?"

9-04-2007 @ 10:21AM

Stephanie said...

I am not sure if it was Windtunnel, or some other show on SPEED but Waltrip said that he asked the saftey guy if they were going to put the car out, and the safety guy asked if Waltrip was going to get out. Waltrip played it off saying that they didn't want him to inhale the CO2 if he didn't have to. I see their point, just a smidge, but really, inhaling a bit of CO2 vs being burnt, the safety crew really needs to get on their game.

9-04-2007 @ 1:21PM

Thanks Maveness, I couldn't remember the show for the life of me :P Makes me wonder if the NASCAR safety crews are really getting any better than back in the 1970's when Roger Williamson crashed and they thought the affected car was David Purley's and just stood there doing nothing.

At least the cars and the safety barriers are being improved