Steve Engel injured at US Nationals @ ORP

[QueenCityMotorsports.com]

From the Cincinnati Enquirer

Race driver critical after crash
By Cliff Radel • [e-mail] • September 3, 2008

CROSBY TWP. – Steve Engel, aspiring drag-strip owner and potential landlord of the Hamilton County Fair, remains in critical condition at Indianapolis’ Methodist Hospital.

Engel suffered severe injuries Saturday night during the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O’Reilly Raceway Park in suburban Indianapolis. After crossing the finish line, his modified 1963 Corvette slammed into a concrete retaining wall.

Damage to the wall was so extensive the track closed for the night so repairs could be made to the concrete structure.

Engel was airlifted from the scene to Methodist Hospital, the care center for drivers injured at the Indianapolis 500.

The Indianapolis Star reported he suffered damage to his spinal cord and fractures to six vertebrae.

In August, Engel offered to donate 30 acres of land he owns in Crosby Township for the new home of the Hamilton County Fair – if the troubled venture leaves Carthage.
Engel’s offer had one string attached. First, he had to win his year-long court fight to build a 31-acre motorsports park – including a quarter-mile drag strip and a 2,000-seat grandstand – on the site.

Owner of a Butler County heavy-equipment hauling company, Engel hopes to place the $7 million motorsports park on 192 acres: 162 in the northwest corner of Crosby Township and 30 in the southeast corner of Butler County’s Morgan Township.

Plans for the park were rejected one year ago by Crosby Township officials. The case of the motorsports park continues to work its way through the courts.

“We’re filing a brief today,” Joe Trauth, Engel’s attorney, said Tuesday.
“I sent him a draft Friday,” Trauth added. “But I did not hear back from Steve.
“I just thought, with it being a long holiday weekend, he was attending a race somewhere. I didn’t know he’d be racing. This is horrible news.”

[QueenCityMotorsports.com]

Saturday's action at U.S. Nationals marred by Engel's accident

(8-30-2008) INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Four pairs into Saturday evening's third round of professional qualifying for the JEGS ProMod Challenge, this year's 54th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis took a decidedly nasty turn when Bristol winner Steve Engel lost control of his '63 Diamond Heavy Haul Corvette and impacted the left-side retaining wall at a high rate of speed.

Engel was reportedly alert and conscious when he was extracted from the wreckage and airlifted to a local hospital. The wreck caused so much damage to the retaining wall that the remainder of the day's racing action was called off.

By rule, the drivers that didn't get a chance to make a pass during the session will not get a chance to make up the missed run. Josh Hernandez, who moved into the qualifying lead earlier in the day with a 6.010 at 240.98 mph in his Team Rage Camaro, ended the day on top.

"My mind is on Steve Engel and his family," Hernandez said. "Racing doesn't mean much when one of your buddies goes through something like that. We're all praying he's going to be okay."

Hernandez and several other racers picked up considerably in Saturday's first session of time trials where the bump spot dropped by more than three tenths of a second.

"I think we all kind of went up there (Friday) with a conservative mindset just to get a feel for the racetrack," said Hernandez, the defending series champion. "Once we got an idea of what it would hold we were able to tune from there and that's why you saw so many people step it up in Round 2.

"Our car responded very well to the changes we made and we ran about what we expected in that session. I think we would have seen a bunch of guys go into the fives tonight but it just wasn't meant to be."

There is one more round of Pro Mod qualifying scheduled for 2 p.m. The first round of eliminations is slated to begin at 5:10 p.m.

[QueenCityMotorsports.com]

Ametuer video of the crash on YouTube

[QueenCityMotorsports.com]

Engel remains in Indy hospital following high-speed accident

(9-4-2008) INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Pro Mod racer Steve Engel remains in critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit of Methodist Hospital after suffering a high-speed accident Saturday evening at the 54th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis.

Engel's Corvette went out of control near the top end of the quarter-mile and impacted the retaining wall so severely that all racing action was halted for the evening as safety crews worked to repair the damage. Engel, meanwhile, was airlifted to Methodist Hospital by medical helicopter.

According to his wife Tonya, Engel suffered damage to six vertebrae in his spine. As a precaution and to keep him from moving and further complicating his injuries, he's been medically sedated since doctors first examined him.

An initial surgery was preformed to repair two of the vertebrae. As doctors waited for swelling in the area to subside, Engel developed fluid in one of his lungs, which has delayed further repairs.

Erroneous reports of Engel being completely paralyzed are unfounded, according to Tonya. It is simply far too early in the process to make such determinations. His team of doctors remains hopeful that once all the repairs are made he'll be able to make large strides towards a full recovery. The best news is that Engel's spinal canal was not compromised.

"Everyone is very concerned about Steve's condition," said JEGS Director of Media Scott Woodruff. "We're all praying for a complete recovery, and we're keeping Tonya and the rest of Steve's family and team in our thoughts and urge others to do so.

"It's shocking to all of us when something like this happens. Although everyone knows the inherit risks involved with our sport, it's still hard to take when something does happen. That was a bad wreck; one of the worse many of us had ever seen. The fact he's alive is a miracle in itself. Thank goodness for all the safety things we have in place.

"We call on everyone to keep Steve and Tonya in their prayers."

Engel won his first race on the JEGS ProMod Challenge earlier this year in Bristol, Tenn. The 49-year-old from Shandon, Ohio, owns and operates Diamond Heavy Haul, a trucking and trailer manufacturing business. He has two sons, Steve Jr. and Mikey.