ON AUTO RACING: CRASH SIDELINES VETERAN RACER, BUT NOT FOR LONG

Bob Thoman could be as little as two weeks away from returning to sprint car racing after he was injured in one of the most violent crashes in Auto Tire and Parts Racepark's 10 years of competition.

Thoman said this week that work will be done soon on a new car and that his injuries are healing quickly from the May 26 crash that ripped away the front one-third of Thoman's red No. 7C sprint car.

Thoman, among the area's oldest active racers at age 60, said the wreck was one of the worst in his 33 years in racing.

"I never thought I'd have another wreck like that -- that's why I stopped running big tracks where you're going 130 mph," said Thoman, who has driven the car owned by Quentin "Peanut" Campbell of Perryville, Mo., for the past several seasons. "If I'd known I'd ever go through another wreck like that, I would've thought twice about getting in the car."

Thoman has commuted from in Higginsville, Mo., located about 30 miles east of Kansas City, for almost every night of racing at the Scott County track since it opened in 1991. He's won three feature races there, all before 1993. He finished in the top five once this season before his crash.

The crash was set off when Thoman made contact with another car as they raced down the back straightaway. He crashed head-on into a concrete barrier padded by car tires, then bounced back into the paths of three cars, which sped into Thoman at more than 90 mph.

The impact left pieces of the four cars strewn down the track. The wings, engine, front axle and wheels were ripped from Thoman's car, yet he was able to walk from the car to an awaiting ambulance within a couple of minutes of the crash.

Thoman's right foot was punctured, his neck was strained and he developed a blind spot in his left eye. Thoman said he would delay his return until his vision is complete.

The crash hasn't changed Thoman's desire to race competitively.

"Every year I know it could be my last year of racing, but I still love it," he said. "As long as I have the desire to be competitive and the ability to do it, I want to keep racing."

Here and there

* Some of the nation's best late model cars and drivers are a week into the four-week Summernationals series, a 26-race marathon run under the sanction of the United Midwestern Promoters. Each stop on the series pays at least $5,000 to win. The series has area events Thursday at Mount Vernon, Ill.; Friday, June 29 at Paducah, Ky.; Saturday, June 30 at Pevely, Mo.; and Sunday, July 1 on the 1-mile track at the DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds.

* Local competitors went up against tough competition Saturday in a 40-lap event for late models at Salina, Okla. Joey Mack of Benton, Mo., finished 10th, Billy James of Sikeston, Mo., 14th and Todd Hall of Charleston, Mo., 18th in the event sanctioned by the Mid-America Racing Series. They're expected to follow the series for a pair of events in Arkansas this weekend.

* Keith Adamson's fourth consecutive sweep of the late model division Friday at Fredericktown Raceway broke a record set last year by Terry James of Jackson, Mo.

* Saturday's feature race wins by Todd Rowland, Joe Geisler, Terry James and Jared Wagster at Auto Tire and Parts Racepark marked the first time this season Missouri drivers won every feature race on the card.

Jamie Hall is the editor of graphics and design for the Southeast Missourian. Reach him at (573) 335-6611, ext. 174, or at jhall@semissourian.com