Adrian Fernandez
to miss Mid-Ohio
Replacement
driver sought
August
2, 2002
INDIANAPOLIS,
Ind. – Fernández Racing Owner/Driver Adrián Fernández
will not participate in Round 11 of the CART FedEx
Championship Series, the CART Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio, on
August 11 as he continues to recover from injuries sustained
in a multi-car late-race crash at the Molson Indy Vancouver on
July 28. A replacement driver will be announced next week.
Fernández suffered two hairline
fractures in his left pelvis and severe bruising on his right
buttock, and has been undergoing rehabilitation therapy in
Indianapolis with CART Chief Orthopedic Consultant Dr. Terry
Trammell.
“Adrián is undergoing his therapy and making progress,” said
Trammell. “He is experiencing less pain and is less dependent
on his crutches, and we are proceeding a day at a time. The
plan is for him to go back home to Arizona on Saturday morning
and continue his rehab with the instructions that he has
gotten here thereafter. He is going to be too sore to drive at
Mid-Ohio.”
This is the second time that Fernández will be a spectator for
the Mid-Ohio race, which he won in 1998. He missed the 1999
event due to a broken right wrist from an accident during
practice for the Detroit race. Fernández will not travel to
Lexington, Ohio, and will remain in Phoenix.
“It’s unfortunate that I will not be at Mid-Ohio,” said
Fernández. “I am still in a lot of pain and I will abide by
Dr. Trammell’s recommendation. Now I am shooting to come back
at Elkhart Lake. I am going to go home and continue my
rehabilitation and put all the effort in so I can get back in
the race car as soon as possible.
“I saw my car at the race shop on Wednesday and was very
surprised. I have never seen something like that and feel very
lucky to be alive. The nose of Bruno’s [Junqueira] car
basically hit my butt. There is a hole in the seat and the
seat was compressed almost three inches into my body. Another
few inches and I don’t know what would have happened.”
Fernández along with partners Tom Anderson and Don Halliday
are currently looking at driver options for the Mid-Ohio race
weekend.
“Obviously our first concerns are with Adrian, and we are
thankful that his injuries are not more serious,” said
Anderson. “We look for him to hopefully be back in the seat at
Road America depending upon Dr. Trammell and his progress in
therapy. Right now we are investigating a replacement driver
as we look forward to putting the Tecate/Quaker State/Telmex
car on the grid at Mid-Ohio with the best possible
representation for our sponsors. We will be doing our due
diligence on that this week, and will make an announcement
next week.”
“We are very disappointed, since Adrián has done so well at
Mid-Ohio in the past and really enjoys the circuit,” added
Halliday. “We have learned a lot with the car recently, which
would have been put to good effect with Adrián at the wheel in
Mid-Ohio. He won’t be able to capitalize on that situation,
but obviously what is important is that you can’t drive these
things at 90 percent health. You have to be 100 percent,
especially this year where the races are very physically and
mentally challenging.
“The impact [from the accident] was extremely large and
basically cracked the side of the monocoque in back of the
seatback bulkhead. Obviously, the way the cars are designed,
particularly with the recent head restraint systems
incorporated by CART, and Adrian’s method of seating, which
incorporates a Kevlar shell that he sits in, served to
minimize his injuries. We are looking forward to Adrián
getting back in the seat. He is upbeat and always very
positive. He is working hard at his recovery and is a true
professional.”
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Ricardo González
News and Commentary
INDIANAPOLIS,
Ind. – Fernández Racing Owner/Driver Adrián Fernández
will not participate in Round 11 of the CART FedEx
Championship Series, the CART Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio, on
August 11 as he continues to recover from injuries sustained
in a multi-car late-race crash at the Molson Indy Vancouver on
July 28. A replacement driver will be announced next week.
