Ward Hospitalized UPDATE 6 Will Race – Wimmer(not Sacks) to stand by: Winston Cup driver Ward Burton was admitted to Loma Linda Medical Center in Riverside(actually in Loma Linda), CA Sunday after he was involved in a wreck during Sunday’s NAPA 500 at California Speedway. Burton and Mark Martin were involved in a wreck on Lap 225 in Turn 2. Martin apparently hit Burton from behind, putting Burton’s car into a spin and then the wall. Burton was diagnosed with a concussion but was awake and alert at the hospital. He was being held for additional CAT scans(That’s Racin’)(4-29-2001) UPDATE: A NASCAR official confirmed that Burton was wearing the Simpson Decelerator, a new head-restraint system from Simpson Performance Products. Like the HANS device and other head restraints, the Simpson Decelerator is designed to reduce the violent whiplash a driver can suffer in a crash and lead to a basilar skull fracture, which killed Dale Earnhardt, Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin(Roanoke Times) UPDATE 2: hearing Ward Burton will not the Cup race at Richmond due to the concussion and possible torn neck ligaments he suffered at California. No word on who will be sub for him but am hearing it could be Kenny Wallace if the Eel River Racing team decided not tot run at Richmond UPDATE 3: Rumor has it that Ward Burton will sit out this weekend’s Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond International Raceway(NASCAR.com Buzz)(4-30-2001) UPDATE 4: Ward Burton, driver of the #22 Caterpillar Dodge, was released from Loma Linda University MedicalCenter last night at approximately 10:00pm/et. He was released following hospitalization for observation and a series of tests after a late-race incident at California Speedway Sunday. Burton was diagnosed with a concussion and was given clearance from the medical staff to return to his home in Virginia(Bill Davis Racing PR). No word on his plans for the race at Richmond this weekend AND ESPN2’s RPM 2Night reports that Burton has been cleared to race at Richmond and a team spokeman says Burton is scheduled to run at Richmond, but Burton is still experiencing pain in his neck(5-1-2001) UPDATE 5: Winston Cup driver Ward Burton returned to his Virginia home Tuesday following two nights in a California hospital but his status for Saturday night’s Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond, Va., remains questionable. While Burton recovers from injuries he sustained in a wreck in Sunday’s NAPA 500 at California Speedway, NASCAR continues to examine the head-restraint system Burton used in the race. Although Burton’s team hopes he can compete this weekend, it is making contingency plans. Bill Davis, owner of Burton’s team, contacted driver Kenny Wallace this week about driving for Burton at Richmond. Wallace’s team was rumored to be shutting down this week. Wallace, however, informed Davis his team had picked up a sponsor, Geico, and would be racing this weekend. Davis has contacted other potential replacement drivers as well, sources said. Dave Blaney, would likely replace Burton in the team’s scheduled test Monday and Tuesday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in preparation for The Winston and Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte later this month(That’s Racin’) UPDATE 6: PRN’s Garage Pass radio show reports Ward Burton will run Richmond with Greg Sacks standing by as a back-up driver. Burton was checked out today by a neurosurgeon at Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, NC and was cleared to race.(PRN Garage Pass)(5-2-2001) UPDATE 6: Scott Wimmer of the Busch Series(#23 Bill Davis Pontiac) will be on stand-by for Ward Burton for Saturday night’s race at Richmond. Burton suffered a concussion after being involved in a crash at Fontana and stayed overnight in a local hospital. He has been cleared by doctors to race(Atlanta Journal Constitution)(5-4-2001)
