Monday, March 24, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
SUN STAFF REPORTS
Las Vegas Indy-car racer Sam Schmidt, who was feared to have suffered a fractured spine in a crash during Sunday's Indy Racing League Phoenix 200, was released from the hospital Monday with nothing more than lumps and bruises.
"He has some bruises on his neck and basically his spine but nothing was broken," said Jonathan Jensen, spokesman for Blueprint Racing, the team for which Schmidt drives.
"Initially, (doctors) thought it was a spinal fracture. But they did X-rays ... and released him (Monday). He's really sore but he was happy with the way he was able to run."
Schmidt, a rookie was was competing in his first IRL event, ran as high as fourth and was solidly in the top 10 late in the race when a wheel nut on his Dallara-Aurora broke, sending him hard into the wall backward. The impact knocked a hole in the concrete and rescue workers took several minutes in extracting Schmidt from his battered car.
In addition to his release, Schmidt received another bit of good news Monday. His 10th-place showing at Phoenix enabled him to lock up the 25th and final guaranteed starting spot in May's Indianapolis 500.
Schmidt's crash notwithstanding, it was a spectacular Sunday for the low-budget Blueprint Racing team, as Schmidt's teammate Jim Guthrie won the caution-marred race at Phoenix.
archive
