Aric Almirola suffered a T5 compression fracture of his back in an accident during Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway, Richard Petty Motorsports announced Sunday.
Aric Almirola suffers compression fracture of back in Kansas accident involving Danica Patrick, Joey Logano
The 33-year-old driver is mobile and was released from the hospital Sunday morning.
Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images
The 33-year-old driver is mobile and was released from the University of Kansas Medical Center Sunday morning. He will fly back to his home in Mooresville, N.C., where he will follow up with his doctors.
There is no timetable for Almirola’s recovery, and RPM has not stated who will drive its No. 43 Ford in Saturday night’s All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Almirola was injured after he was swept into a wreck involving Joey Logano and Danica Patrick with 67 laps remaining in the Go Bowling 400. Logano and Patrick were racing for position when a mechanical failure caused Logano’s car to swerve and clip the right rear of Patrick’s car, which sent Patrick crashing violently into the outside Turn 1 wall.
Almirola was trailing and appeared to go into a skid while attempting to avoid the accident, but he lost control of his car and slammed into the cars of Logano and Patrick. The impact had such force, it caused Almirola’s rear tires to lift off the ground and a fireball to engulf Patrick’s car.
Neither Logano nor Patrick were injured.
Almirola immediately put down the window net on his car signaling that he was conscious, but he was unable to remove himself from the wreckage. Track workers had to cut off the roof of the car to extract Almirola, who was placed on a backboard and then airlifted to a nearby hospital.
“Something broke on my car,” Logano said. “I noticed it as I was trying to go in. I tried to back it off, but you’re going 215 [mph] and it’s hard to check up. The car just took a bit step sideways into the corner and I hooked Danica.
“I hope Aric is alright. That’s the last thing you want to see, a big hit like that for anyone. It’s unfortunate for everyone. Let’s hope that Aric is all right.”
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin suffered a L1 compression fracture in his lower back when he crashed at Auto Club Speedway in 2013. Hamlin missed four races during his recovery.
Almirola is winless on the season and ranks 23rd in the Monster Energy Cup Series points standings, 62 points behind the current cutoff to qualify for the 16-driver playoffs. If he misses a points race, he would need to apply for a waiver, which NASCAR typically grants.
The next points race is May 24 at Charlotte. (The All-Star Race is classified as an exhibition.)
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