Nemechek Injured testing at Dover UPDATE 5 pressure was OK: Joe Nemechek was injured in a crash during testing Tuesday morning at the one-mile, high-banked Dover Downs International Speedway. Nemechek, who was testing his #87 BGN car, has a broken right scapula. He apparently cut a right front tire between turns three and four at Dover, the car sliding up into the wall. No other cars were involved and Nemechek had no other serious injuries. Andy Petree Racing, which fields Nemechek’s #33 Oakwood Homes Chevy in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, was still evaluating the situation Tuesday morning, and had made no decisions regarding Nemechek’s status for The Winston weekend at Concord, N.C., which begins Friday. “Our main concern right now is Joe’s health,” Petree said. “We’re still putting information together and will make any decisions from there.”(Williams Company) UPDATE: Joe Nemechek is currently scheduled to remain at Bay Health Medical at Kent General Hospital in Dover, DE, Tuesday night as a precautionary measure. He is expected to be released Wednesday morning. Outside of the broken right scapula and various bruises, Nemechek is reported to be in good spirits(Williams Company) – hearing Bobby Halilton Jr could run the #33 at the Winston Open and if Kenny Wallace and the #27 Eel River Racing team not get a sponsor for the Coca Cola 600 and the team decides not to run it, Wallace could be in line to drive the #33 in the race.(5-15-2001) UPDATE 2: PRN’s Garage Pass Radio show reports that Bobby Hamilton Jr will drive the #33 Oakwood Homes Chevy for the Winston Open and No Bull Sprint races and if he advances in The Winston(PRN’s Garage Pass)(5-16-2001) UPDATE 3 now worse – miss the Coke 600?: An additional injury to Joe Nemechek has been noted by doctors who examined him Wednesday night at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Nemechek has what doctors termed a “clean break” immediately at his right elbow. He has been fitted with a cast and doctors anticipated it remaining on Nemechek for up to two weeks. “We.re looking at our options again as far as next week and the 600 are concerned,” said Andy Petree, owner of the #33 Oakwood Homes Chevrolet. “Guys have driven with casts before in NASCAR Winston Cup racing without a problem but every situation is unique too. We.ll have to take a look at it, talk with Joe, see who is available should we need relief drivers, talk with Oakwood Homes and take it from there. “We.re certainly in no hurry to make a decision. We.re set for this weekend,” Petree added, referring to Bobby Hamilton Jr. being named to drive the Oakwood Homes Chevrolet over the Winston weekend. “We.re not going to prolong things but we.re not going to be hasty either.” Nemechek was injured in a hard crash during Busch Grand National testing Tuesday at the one-mile, high-banked Dover Downs (Del.) International Speedway. Apparently cutting a tire, Nemechek’s car shot up the track and slammed the wall between turns three and four. Nemechek was initially diagnosed with a broken right scapula and a small lung bruise, as well as various other non-serious bruises.(Williams Company)(5-17-2001) UPDATE 4 – not a cut tire?: Early indication from Goodyear is that low air pressure, rather than a cut, caused the tire failure that sent Joe Nemechek into the wall at Dover on Tuesday. Air pressure buildup at the tight one-mile creates an ill-handling car, so teams tend to drop air pressure at the start of a run, to minimize the buildup, although at the risk of damaging the tire. There were some questions here about how Dover doctors missed some of Nemechek’s injuries, which were later discovered by doctors at Bowman Gray in Winston-Salem(Winston Salem Journal)(5-19-2001) UPDATE 5: sources within Nemechek’s BGN team tell me that the accident was not a result of low tire pressure. Nemechek was over 50 laps into their practice run and 3 laps away from coming in when it happened(5-21-2001)
