Celebrity Deathwatch: Tony Roper, NASCAR Truck Series Driver, 35

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http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/motorsports/news/2000/10/14/roper_update_ap
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Roper dies

Truck Series veteran succumbs in Dallas hospital

Posted: Saturday October 14, 2000 2:19 PM
Updated: Saturday October 14, 2000 6:55 PM

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Truck Series driver Tony Roper died Saturday,
hours after a fiery crash in a race at Texas Motor Speedway, becoming the
third on-track fatality this year in NASCAR.

The 35-year-old driver had a severe neck injury which prevented blood from
flowing to his brain, said Dr. John LaNoue, a trauma surgeon at Parkland
Hospital. LaNoue said the injury Friday night left Roper without any brain
function.

Roper was unconscious and unresponsive when he was pulled out of his truck
after the wreck during the O'Reilly 400, where he started 15th in a field of
36. Emergency crews had to cut the roof off his Ford to get him out.

He had been placed on a ventilator at the hospital, where his father, former
Midwest short track star Dean Roper, was with him when he died.

"We appreciate the show of support from the other drivers and teams who came
here to be with us last night and this morning," Roper said. "We appreciate
everybody who helped him along in racing, and all the friends he has made as
a result.

"He was a good little racer."

It was the first fatal accident at Texas Motor Speedway, which opened in
April of 1997.

"We are all shaken by the death of Tony Roper," said Eddie Gossage, the
track's general manager. "We join our fans in offering prayerful support to
Tony Roper's family."

NASCAR Busch Series driver Adam Petty and Winston Cup competitor Kenny Irwin
were killed earlier this year. They crashed eight weeks apart while
practicing at New Hampshire International Speedway.

"Our thoughts and prayers are certainly with Dean and Shirley, Tony's wife
Michelle, and sister Kim," said Mike Helton, NASCAR's senior vice president
and chief operating officer.

The only previous fatality in the truck series was in 1997, when John
Nemechek died after a crash in Homestead, Fla. Roper's death was the eighth
from on-track crashes in NASCAR in the last 10 years.

Roper was one of two drivers to die Saturday from injuries in touring series
events. Drag racer Wayne Bailey died hours after crashing during qualifying
Friday night for the IHRA World Finals at Red River Raceway in Gilliam, La.

Roper, from Fair Grove, Mo., was in just his fifth Craftsman Series race
this season, but the 60th of his career. He never won in the series, his
best finish being second in Clermont, Ind., in 1998.

He also had raced in the Busch Series over the past two years. As a Busch
rookie in 1999, he had three top-10s in his 19 races but finished no better
than 24th in three races on that circuit this year.

Roper began racing modifieds and late model cars in 1986, then moved to the
ASA stock car circuit in 1992. He made his first start in the truck series
during its debut season in 1995.

The crash happened as Roper tried to move through a pack of traffic. He
apparently bumped with another truck, then veered sharply to the right and
slammed head-on into the wall along the frontstretch on the 32nd of 267 laps
on the 1.5-mile oval. His mangled truck burst into flames and spun out of
control.

The accident was similar to one involving Geoffrey Bodine in the
season-opening truck race at Daytona International Speedway. Bodine, a
Winston Cup regular later fired from that ride, crashed after being pinched
into the wall during the Daytona 200.

His truck became a fireball and took out a large section of the catch
fencing as it spewed parts into the grandstand. Nine spectators and another
driver were injured as was Bodine, who missed over two months with a
concussion, and breaks of a wrist, ankle and vertebrae.

Polesitter Bryan Reffner won the truck race Friday night, passing Andy
Houston with six laps to go for his first victory in 112 career starts. Greg
Biffle claimed the points title, even though he completed just 81 laps and
finished 25th.

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