ANDERSON, Ind. – Audio, story and photos by Race Chaser Online Managing Editor Jacob Seelman –

13 months ago, Tyler Roahrig was pulled from a demolished Super Late Model by two concerned colleagues, all the while asking those around him whether he would ever be able to race again.

Now, the 24-year-old hotshoe couldn’t be more thankful to have the answer to that question.

Roahrig was involved in a horrific practice crash on April 25, 2014 at Anderson Speedway that left him with a compound lower leg fracture, a broken hip, broken arm, broken sternum, broken tailbone and broken shoulder blade. An assortment of titanium rods, pins, plates and screws were inserted to hold the healing injuries in place.

The up-and-coming driver spent the rest of the year between a wheelchair and a rehab facility relearning how to walk in the hopes of returning to the wheel of the sport he loved.

“The accident gave me a new perspective on life,” Roahrig told Race Chaser Online during this week’s practice for the 67th annual Pay Less Little 500 presented by UAW-GM (Saturday, 8 p.m. Eastern). “I used to be super-aggressive and all go, go, go – I still am, but I think [the accident] has taught me more about patience and taking in a little more than I might have before.”

“It has definitely changed my outlook, that’s for sure. I’m even more grateful every time I strap in now.”

366 days after his fateful accident, Roahrig made his racing return – at the controls of a Speed Chasers Inc. sprint car owned by legendary Midwest car owner and engineer Tom Brewer.

More notable? That start came at the same race track – Anderson Speedway – where his life-altering crash took place.

Roahrig said that fact never fazed him when he first hopped back behind the wheel, and won’t faze him as he prepares to make his debut attempt at the country’s toughest sprint car race this weekend – also held at the quarter-mile Anderson bullring.

“It wasn’t really on my mind then and it’s not even on my mind this weekend,” Roahrig said. “It’s not really something I think about a lot – which I guess surprises me in a way – but I just focused on the task at hand.”

The Plymouth, Ind. native wheeled Brewer’s car to a sixth place result in his first night back and knew in that moment that he was still able to perform at the top of his game.

That determination was solidified earlier this month, when Roahrig competed in the Denny Nyari Classic at New Paris Speedway in Indiana – his first start back in the late model ranks, driving a brand-new Outlaw Late Model he spent the winter preparing for the 2015 season.

He promptly went out and stunned the field with an emotional victory – made even more so by the fact that he passed his father (J.R. Roahrig) with 11 laps to go en route to the win.

“It was a pretty interesting race,” Roahrig recalled. “Going into it, I didn’t think I would be as good as I actually was in the race, but it ended up my dad was leading and I was second for a long time in the run. I thought we were going to finish like that, honestly, but next thing I knew I was right on his back bumper.”

“Somehow I got on the outside of him, and we went into the next corner and I don’t know how but we both went spinning,” Roahrig laughed. “Luckily he tapped out and admitted fault for it, so I got my spot back and went on to win [eleven] laps later.”

Roahrig said the emotion climbing out of the car was personified both by one of his buddies telling him “The comeback’s complete now,” and by how much the New Paris track has meant to him over his career.

“It was pretty special – that was my first race back in a late model, a car that I just built over the winter, so that was really cool. I’ve had some of my biggest, career-defining moments at New Paris, so it was really big to get a win there.”

Now, with a win under his belt and renewed confidence, Roahrig turns his attention towards this weekend’s Little 500 festivities – where the rising star will attempt to make his debut in the annual sprint car classic.

The biggest catch? While he’s seen the race track numerous times, Roahrig has never even seen the event before this week.

It doesn’t mean, however, that he doesn’t realize how important the event is to the sport.

“It’s huge,” Roahrig said of the chance to win the Little 500. “It would be huge to me [to win it]. I have so little experience in sprint cars. I have under ten races [under my belt] and only two non-winged races at that.”

“It would be awesome to win this race though, and I say that from never having seen it before this weekend. [It’s my] first time here, first time seeing it, first time driving in it. It’s a bit of sensory overload, I guess you’d say.”

“It’s a lot different than what I thought it would be, but everyone tells me there’s nothing else like it. I’m really excited for Saturday, to see exactly what it’s like and take it in from the driver’s seat.”

Roahrig was busy in Wednesday’s three-hour practice session, dialing in both his car and teammate Kody Swanson’s car. Swanson was down the road at the Terre Haute Action Track, scheduled to compete in the Tony Hulman Classic on Wednesday night, however that race was ultimately rained out.

Roahrig says the cold temperatures on Wednesday threw their Tom Brewer-led team for a loop trying to get the setups settled on both cars.

“I think the temperature is playing a role into how the cars are handling. It was raining my last time out [on Wednesday] when I put down my fastest lap in my car and we’ve made big gains on my car from where we were,” Roahrig smiled. “I feel a lot more comfortable in it now, and that’s key to performing well in a 500-lap race, is being comfortable in your car for all 500 laps.”

“I had to get in Kody’s car because they were having trouble with it [during practice on Tuesday] and just made sure the brakes, power steering and other stuff worked for him. He’s got a lot of commitments this week, but hopefully we’ve got it settled in for him so he can come out and make a good showing on Saturday.”

With his return settled and a solid plan for racing ahead of him, Roahrig says he is thankful to be back standing where he is today. At the time of the accident, he was looking down a long tunnel on the road of life – one that seemingly had no end in sight.

“It [has been] a long road,” Roahrig admitted. “I remember when the wreck happened and they were trying to get me out – one of the things I just kept asking [the] guys was if I was ever going to race again. Aaron Pierce and Brian Gerster, just to name two guys; they were a key role in helping me get out of the car that day and they kept telling me the whole time that I would race again.”

“That was the biggest thing that I was worried about when it happened, but I’m glad to be back. It’s been a really, really long road. It just makes it that much better now though.”

He knows a Little 500 win Saturday night would make it even better still – but he knows that 500 laps in a non-winged sprint car takes having Lady Luck on a driver’s side – in a big way.

“[The Little 500] is like a lottery. A lot of guys say if you’re in the race, you have a chance, which I agree with. I’m just hoping we have a chance late in the race on Saturday night.”

“That would be all I could ask for.”

Qualifying takes place for the 67th annual Pay Less Little 500 presented by UAW-GM on Thursday (Pole Day) and Friday (Bump Day), beginning at 1:30 p.m. on both days. The 500-lap main event is scheduled to go green at 8 p.m. on Saturday night.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Roahrig qualified 21st on the grid during Day One qualifying for the Little 500 and will look to lock himself into the final 33-car field during Bump Day on Friday.

Listen in as managing editor Jacob Seelman caught up with Roahrig during Wednesday’s practice day for the Little 500: