#31 Car Chief Recovering: Kevin Gabard, front-tire carrier and car chief of the #31 Lowe’s Chevy, is recovering after knee surgery Monday to correct an injury sustained during the Virginia 500 at Martinsville. Dr. Gary Poehling of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center replaced the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in Gabard’s left knee during outpatient surgery Monday morning in Winston-Salem, N.C. Gabard has undergone surgery for a torn meniscus in the same knee seven times since 1991. His most recent surgery took place in November 1999. “We assessed Kevin’s injuries and found he had a complete ACL tear,” said Dr. John Birkedal, professor and chairman of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Wake Forest University, who assisted Dr. Poehling in the procedure. “We completely replaced the ACL in his left knee but found there was no damage to the meniscus other than what he’d had from past injuries. Everything went very well.” Gabard, 35, was injured during a late-race pit stop April 8 at Martinsville Speedway when a loose tire from another team rolled into the Lowe’s pit and struck Gabard in the left knee as he stepped off of pit wall. Sean Irvan, a mechanic on the #31 team, will assume Gabard’s front-tire carrier duties while he recovers from surgery. Irvan also substituted for Gabard in several races following his Nov. 1999 surgery. Dr. Birkedal said that Gabard will wear a knee brace for two weeks, at which time he will begin physical therapy for light strengthening and range of motion in his knee. Dr. Birkedal anticipates a recovery time of four to six months before Gabard is able to return to full activity(RCR PR)(4-19-2001)
