Champ car + deer = bad news
08-04-2006, 02:56 PM
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Champ car + deer = bad news
Didn't see this anywhere else:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...cnn_topstories
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...cnn_topstories
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (AP) -- Champ Car driver Cristiano da Matta remained hospitalized Friday, a day after his race car collided with a deer that had wandered onto the track during a test session at Road America.
Theda Clark Memorial Hospital spokesman John Gillespie confirmed Friday that da Matta was still a patient, but declined to give any information about his condition.
Da Matta was unconscious Thursday when he was airlifted to the hospital, where he needed surgery to remove a ruptured blood vessel in his head, Champ Car series spokesman Steve Shunck said.
Road America media director Julie Sebranek said she had never heard of a similar incident at the track.
"The race track has been here for 50 years. It's highly, highly unusual," Sebranek said Friday.
An 8-foot chain link fence topped with barbed wire circles the 628-acre property, which is surrounded by wooded terrain and farm fields.
When asked how the deer got onto the property, Sebranek said: "They have been known to jump the 8-foot fences."
"It's just a freak thing and we just maintain the property as we do on a daily basis," she added.
The 32-year-old Da Matta has 12 career Champ Car victories -- including four straight wins in his championship season of 2002, tying a series record.
A native of Brazil, da Matta left Champ Car after winning the championship and drove for the Toyota team in the elite Formula One series in 2003 and 2004. In 28 starts, he finished a career-best sixth in three races.
Da Matta returned to Champ Car last year to win a race at Portland and tie for 11th in the standings. He is sixth in the standings this season after finishing second in Sunday's race in San Jose, Calif.
Da Matta began the season with Dale Coyne Racing, then moved to RuSport team at midseason after A.J. Allmendinger was fired.
Da Matta is single and lives in Miami.
RuSport also announced Thursday that Justin Wilson, da Matta's teammate, would not participate in the final day of Road America test on Friday.
The Champ Car series races at Road America on Sept. 24.
Theda Clark Memorial Hospital spokesman John Gillespie confirmed Friday that da Matta was still a patient, but declined to give any information about his condition.
Da Matta was unconscious Thursday when he was airlifted to the hospital, where he needed surgery to remove a ruptured blood vessel in his head, Champ Car series spokesman Steve Shunck said.
Road America media director Julie Sebranek said she had never heard of a similar incident at the track.
"The race track has been here for 50 years. It's highly, highly unusual," Sebranek said Friday.
An 8-foot chain link fence topped with barbed wire circles the 628-acre property, which is surrounded by wooded terrain and farm fields.
When asked how the deer got onto the property, Sebranek said: "They have been known to jump the 8-foot fences."
"It's just a freak thing and we just maintain the property as we do on a daily basis," she added.
The 32-year-old Da Matta has 12 career Champ Car victories -- including four straight wins in his championship season of 2002, tying a series record.
A native of Brazil, da Matta left Champ Car after winning the championship and drove for the Toyota team in the elite Formula One series in 2003 and 2004. In 28 starts, he finished a career-best sixth in three races.
Da Matta returned to Champ Car last year to win a race at Portland and tie for 11th in the standings. He is sixth in the standings this season after finishing second in Sunday's race in San Jose, Calif.
Da Matta began the season with Dale Coyne Racing, then moved to RuSport team at midseason after A.J. Allmendinger was fired.
Da Matta is single and lives in Miami.
RuSport also announced Thursday that Justin Wilson, da Matta's teammate, would not participate in the final day of Road America test on Friday.
The Champ Car series races at Road America on Sept. 24.
08-04-2006, 04:20 PM
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Re: Champ car + deer = bad news
Originally Posted by TheGoaT
ya deer jump 8 ft fences all the time.