Editorial
IRL vs. CART/Champ Car
injuries since 1996 Compiled by
AutoRacing1 staff - Cipolloni and Levinson
as of March 26, 2006
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to discuss this article
1996
Series
Driver
Venue
Type
Injury
1.
IRL
Butch Brickell
Disney
Oval
Broken Neck
2.
IRL
Eliseo Salazar
Disney
Oval
Broken Leg
3.
IRL
Roberto Guerrero
Disney
Oval
Concussion
4.
IRL
Eddie Cheever
Phoenix
Oval
Concussion
5.
IRL
Stan Wattles
Phoenix
Oval
Concussion
6.
IRL
Buddy Lazier
Phoenix
Oval
Broken back
7.
IRL
Scott Brayton
Indy
Oval
FATALITY
8.
IRL
Billy Boat
Indy
Oval
Shoulder Separation
9.
IRL
Dan Drinan
Indy
Oval
Broken Pelvis
10.
IRL
Lyn St. James
Indy
Oval
Broken Wrist
11.
IRL
A. Zampedri
Indy
Oval
Broken Feet/Ankles
12.
IRL
Brad Murphey
Las Vegas
Oval
Broken Hip
13.
IRL
Tony Stewart
Las Vegas
Oval
Broken Shoulder
14.
IRL
Mark Dismore
Las Vegas
Oval
Broken Pelvis
1.
CART
Parker Johnstone
Homestead
Oval
Concussion
2.
CART
Scott Goodyear
Rio
Oval
Broken Back (Thoracic compression fracture)
3.
CART
Mark Blundell
Rio
Oval
Rib and foot fractures
4.
CART
Jeff Krosnoff
Toronto
Street
FATALITY
--
CART
Gary Avrin
Toronto
Street
FATALITY (Corner worker)
5.
CART
Paul Tracy
Michigan
Oval
Fractured Vertebrae
6.
CART
Emerson Fittipaldi
Michigan
Oval
Neck fracture
7.
CART
Parker Johnstone
Elkhart Lake
Road
Hospitalized/Soft Tissue
1997
Series
Driver
Venue
Type
Injury
1.
IRL
Eliseo Salazar
Disney
Oval
Broken Back (Thoracic compression fracture)
2.
IRL
Davy Jones
Disney
Oval
Head/Neck/Neuro
3.
IRL
Kenny Brack
Phoenix
Oval
Concussion
4.
IRL
Sam Schmidt
Phoenix
Oval
Spinal Fracture (Thoracic compression fracture)
5.
IRL
Jeret Schroeder
Phoenix
Oval
Concussion
6.
IRL
Scott Sharp
Indy
Oval
Head/Cerebral Hemorrhage
7.
IRL
John Paul, Jr.
Indy
Oval
Broken Leg
8.
IRL
Johnny O'Connell
Indy
Oval
Broken Foot
9.
IRL
Robby Gordon
Indy
Oval
2nd/3rd Degree Burns
10.
IRL
Paul Durant
Indy
Oval
Broken Pelvis/Concussion
11.
IRL
Mike Groff
Texas
Oval
Broken Leg
12.
IRL
Robbie Buhl
Colorado
Oval
Concussion
13.
IRL
Jim Guthrie
Colorado
Oval
Broken Back (Thoracic compression fracture?)
14.
IRL
Scott Sharp
Colorado
Oval
Cerebral Hemorrhage
15.
IRL
Buzz Caulkins
Loudon
Oval
Fractured Skull/Broken Ankle
16.
IRL
Mike Groff
Loudon
Oval
Concussion
17.
IRL
Davey Hamilton
Las Vegas
Oval
Concussion
18.
IRL
John Paul, Jr.
Las Vegas
Oval
Concussion
19.
IRL
Jimmy Kite
Las Vegas
Oval
Concussion
1.
CART
Christian Fittipaldi
Australia
Street
Broken Leg
2.
CART
Bryan Herta
Australia
Street
Broken Hand
3.
CART
Parker Johnstone
Michigan
Oval
Facial Laceration
4.
CART
Bobby Rahal
Michigan
Oval
Bruised Hip
5.
CART
Patrick Carpentier
Fontana
Oval
Concussion
6.
CART
Alex Zanardi
Fontana
Oval
Concussion
7.
CART
Arie Luyendyk
Fontana
Oval
Concussion
1998
Series
Driver
Venue
Type
Injury
(A.)
FF2000
Thiago Bezerra
Disney
Oval
Severe head injuries (Not included in totals)
(B)
FF2000
Bill Tichenor
Phoenix
Oval
Severe head injuries (Not included in totals)
1.
IRL
Mike Groff
Phoenix
Oval
Concussion
2.
IRL
Danny Ongais
Indy
Oval
Concussion
3.
IRL
Jim Guthrie
Indy
Oval
Broken Elbow
4.
IRL
Mark Dismore
Texas
Oval
Concussion
5.
IRL
Billy Boat
Loudon
Oval
Broken Leg & Pelvis
6.
IRL
Eliseo Salazar
Dover
Oval
Broken Leg/Hip/Arm/Pelvis (I.e. entire right
side)
1.
CART
Dennis Vitolo
Homestead
Oval
Burns/Broken Finger
2.
CART
Christian Fittipaldi
Milwaukee
Oval
Concussion
--
CART
3 spectators
Michigan
Oval
3 FATALITIES
3.
CART
Andre Ribeiro
Elkhart Lake
Road
Fractured Leg
1999
Series
Driver
Venue
Type
Injury
1.
IRL
Stan Wattles
Atlanta
Oval
Broken back
2.
IRL
3 Spectators
Charlotte
Oval
3 Fatalities
3.
IRL
(3 Crewmen)
Texas
Oval
3 Hospitalized multitude of injuries
4.
IRL
Sam Schmidt
Texas
Oval
Severe Foot Injury
5.
IRL
Robby Unser
Texas
Oval
Back Injury/Hospitalized
1.
CART
Shigeaki Hattori
Homestead
Oval
Concussion
2.
CART
Al Unser, Jr.
Homestead
Oval
Broken Ankle
3.
CART
Naoki Hattori
Homestead
Oval
Broken Leg
4.
CART
Mark Blundell
Gateway
Oval
Broken Neck
--
CART
Crewman (Andretti)
Milwaukee
Oval
Fractured Skull
5.
CART
Christian Fittipaldi
Gateway
Oval
Concussion
6.
CART
Patrick Carpentier
Detroit
Road
Broken Back (Thoracic compression fracture)
7.
CART
Gonzalo Rodriguez
Laguna Seca
Road
FATALITY
8.
CART
Greg Moore
Fontana
Oval
FATALITY
2000
Series
Driver
Venue
Type
Injury
1.
IRL
Sam Schmidt
Disney
Oval
Paralyzed/Broken Neck
2.
IRL
Davey Hamilton
Disney
Oval
Hospitalized/Back Injury
3.
IRL
Jaques Lazier
Disney
Oval
Broken Back (Thoracic compression fracture)
4.
IRL
Tyce Carlson
Indy
Oval
Concussion
5.
IRL
Hideshi Matsuda
Indy
Oval
Broken Wrist/Knee/Concussion
6.
IRL
Al Unser, Jr.
Kentucky
Oval
Bruised leg
1.
CART
Dario Franchitti
Homestead
Oval
Broken Pelvis/Concussion
2.
CART
Tony Kanaan
Detroit
Road
Broken Arm/Ribs
3.
CART
Takuya Kurosawa
Michigan
Oval
Concussion
4.
CART
Christian Fittipaldi
Chicago
Oval
Concussion
2001
Series
Driver
Venue
Type
Injury
1.
IRL
Greg Ray
Homestead
Oval
Concussion
2.
IRL
Nicholas Minassian
Indy (Test)
Oval
Soft Tissue
3.
IRL
Casey Mears
Indy
Oval
Concussion (Mild)
4.
IRL
Jack Miller
Atlanta
Oval
Concussion
5.
IRL
Scott Goodyear
Indy
Oval
Fractured Vertebrae (Thoracic compression
fracture)
6.
IRL
Davy Hamilton
Texas
Oval
Severe fractures of both feet/Leg
7.
IRL
Robby McGehee
Texas
Oval
Broken Leg/Concussion
8.
IRL
Shigeaki Hattori
Colorado
Oval
Concussion
9.
IRL
Greg Ray
Richmond
Oval
Soft Tissue
10.
IRL
Sam Hornish
Indy
Oval
Concussion
1.
CART
Patrick Carpentier
Long Beach
Street
Fractured Wrist
2.
CART
Mauricio Gugelmin
Texas
Oval
Soft Tissue
3.
CART
Tony Kanaan
Detroit
Road
Concussion
4.
CART
Mauricio Gugelmin
Chicago
Oval
Minor cuts
5.
CART
Memo Gidley
Elkhart Lake
Road
Bone Contusion/Soft Tissue
6.
CART
Alex Zanardi
Lausitzring
Oval
Loss of Legs/Internal Injuries/Concussion
2002
Series
Driver
Venue
Type
Injury
1.
IRL
Donnie Beechler
Homestead
Oval
Concussion
2.
IRL
Anthony Lazzaro
Phoenix
Oval
Fractured Vertebrae (Thoracic compression
fracture)
3.
IRL
Robbie Buhl
California
Oval
Concussion
4.
IRL
Eliseo Salazar
Indy
Oval
Torn Artery/Broken back (Thoracic compr.
fracture)
5.
IRL
Jaques Lazier
Nazareth
Oval
Broken Back (2nd Thoracic compression fracture)
6.
IRL
Thomas Scheckter
Nazareth
Oval
Lung Contusion/Concussion
7.
IRL
Robby McGehee
Indy
Oval
Fractured Leg
8.
IRL
P.J. Jones
Indy
Oval
Fractured Neck
9.
IRL
Mark Dismore
Indy
Oval
Concussion
10.
IRL
Paul Tracy
Indy
Oval
Soft Tissue - Knee
11.
IRL
Laurent Redon
Indy
Oval
Concussion
12.
IRL
Laurent Redon
Richmond
Oval
Fractured Fingertips (Two on left hand)
---
IRL
Matt Halliday (IPS)
Kansas
Oval
Concussion/Wrist fracture
--
IRL
Jason Priestley (IPS)
Kentucky
Oval
Head/neck Injuries
IRL
Bernie Hallisky
(Crew) Kentucky
Oval
Broken Hip/Pelvis
13.
IRL
Richie Hearn
Kentucky
Oval
Broken Ankle
14.
IRL
Gil de Ferran
Chicagoland
Oval
Concussion, Broken wrist
1.
CART
Adrian Fernandez
Vancouver
Street
Hairline Pelvis fracture/Hairline Sacral
fracture
2.
CART
Adrian Fernandez
Surfers
Street
Fractured Vertebrae
3.
CART
Tora Takagi
Surfers
Street
Hairline Pelvis fracture
2003
Series
Driver
Venue
Type
Injury
1.
IRL
Gil de Ferran
Phoenix
Oval
Concussion & Fractured Vertebrae
2.
IRL
Roger Yasukawa
Phoenix
Oval
Back Pain, kept overnight
3.
IRL
Tony Kanaan
Motegi
Oval
Broken wrist/arm
4.
IRL
Scott Dixon
Motegi
Oval
Broken wrist/hand
5.
IRL
Craig Dollansky
Indy
Oval
Broken lower back
6.
IRL
Arie Luyendyk
Indy
Oval
Unspecified injuries to upper back
7.
IRL
Airton Daire
Texas
Oval
Broken hip, pelvis, leg and arm
8.
IRL
Felipe Giaffone
Kansas
Oval
Broken pelvis & right thigh
9.
IRL
Vitor Meira
Kentucky
Oval
Broken wrist
10.
IRL
Tom Wood (IPS)
Kentucky
Oval
Broken middle back, right knee, right foot
& both ankles
11.
IRL
Sarah Fisher
Nazareth
Oval
Airlifted, Contusion of the back
12.
IRL
Kenny Brack
Texas
Oval
Broken back, femur, ankles, sternum
13.
IRL
Tony Renna
Indy Testing
Oval
FATALITY 10/22/03
1.
CART
Tiago Monteiro
Cleveland
Road
Concussion
2004
Series
Driver
Venue
Type
Injury
1.
IRL
Scott Dixon
Milwaukee
Oval
Chipped bone in thumb, sprained ankle
2.
IRL
Dario Franchitti
Texas
Oval
Broken foot
1.
Champ Car
Patrick Carpentier
Surfers Paradise
Street
Concussion
2005
Series
Driver
Venue
Type
Injury
1.
IRL
Danica Patrick
Homestead
Oval
Concussion
2.
IRL
Tomas Enge
Motegi
Oval
Broken ribs
3.
IRL
Paul Dana
Indianapolis
Oval
C ompression
fractures of 2 vertebra
4.
IRL
Buddy Rice
Indianapolis
Oval
Concussion, severe back contusions,
partially torn spinal ligament
5.
IRL
Bruno Junqueira
Indianapolis
Oval
Concussion, Broken back, broken ankle
6.
IRL
Larry Foyt
Indianapolis
Oval
Chipped vertebra
7.
IRL
Tomas Enge
Nashville
Oval
Fractures to his T-12 and L-1 vertebra
8.
IRL
Ryan Briscoe
Chicagoland
Oval
Fractures to both clavicles, bad concussion, bruised
lung, broken foot, damage to his T1 and T2 vertebra, trouble breathing
1.
Champ Car
Timo Glock
Milwaukee (Test)
Oval
Concussion
2.
Champ Car
Ryan Hunter Reay
Milwaukee (Test)
Oval
Bruised Lung
3.
Atlantic
Andreas Wirth
Road America
Road
Minor end plate fractures of his T6 and T8 thoracic
vertebrae
2006
Series
Driver
Venue
Type
Injury
1.
IRL
Paul Dana
Homestead
Oval
FATALITY from massive injuries
2.
IRL
Ed Carpenter
Homestead
Oval
Bruised Lung
The author can be contacted at
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