GRANITE CITY, Ill. — Veteran dirt late model driver Steve Francis suffered facial injuries, including a broken nose, during Friday night’s Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event at Tri-City Speedway.
The injuries were reported to the public through Francis’ official Facebook page on Saturday morning, and were caused by a piece of lead impacting Francis’ helmet during competition.
“Steve was hit in the head with a piece of lead last night at Tri-City,” the post read. “It shattered his helmet and caused him to hit the wall head-on.”
“As of right now, his face is beat up pretty good and (he) has a broken nose. The plastic surgeon will be in this morning for a consult. They will be doing CAT scans every six hours to monitor the situation. Steve is exceptionally sore, and any prayers are appreciated.”
Francis finished fourth in his heat race on Friday to transfer directly to the NAPA Know-How 50 main event, where he was credited with a 17th-place finish after the incident. He currently ranks 11th in the season-long points standings.
The Race Chaser Online staff sends its well-wishes and prayers out to Francis as he embarks on the recovery period from his injuries.
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series continues on Saturday night, July 16 at Missouri’s Lucas Oil Speedway with the 10th annual Diamond Nationals.
About the Writer
Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network.
Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s.
The 22-year-old is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and is also serving as the full-time tour announcer for the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series.
Email Jacob at: speed77radio@gmail.com
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