Champ Car driver Da Mata seriously injured in test at Road America

openwheelracer · Admin/Mod/Eyewitness

Champ Car driver Da Mata seriously injured in test at Road America

openwheelracer · Admin/Mod/Eyewitness

From Jayski.com:

UPDATE: Champ Car driver Cristiano da Matta remained in intensive care with a serious head injury Friday, a day after his race car collided with a deer that had wandered onto the track during a test session at Road America. Champ Car series spokesman Eric Mauk said the driver was in the intensive care unit at Theda Clark Memorial Hospital in Neenah, where he was airlifted to and had surgery to remove a ruptured blood vessel in his head. Road America media director Julie Sebranek said she had never heard of a similar incident at the track. "The race track has been here for 50 years. It's highly, highly unusual," Sebranek said Friday. An 8-foot chain link fence topped with barbed wire circles the 628-acre property, which is surrounded by wooded terrain and farm fields. When asked how the deer got onto the property, Sebranek said: "They have been known to jump the 8-foot fences."(Associated Press)(8-5-2006)

openwheelracer · Admin/Mod/Eyewitness

From WhoWon.com:

http://www.whowon.com/sResults.asp?SanctionID=198&StoryID=197816

WhelenModifiedTour · WMT Moderator

More on da Mata

openwheelracer · Admin/Mod/Eyewitness

RE: Champ Car driver Da Mata seriously injured in test at Road America

openwheelracer · Admin/Mod/Eyewitness

From Jayski.com:

da Matta update 8/18: Champ Car driver Cristiano da Matta remains hospitalized 15 days after colliding with a deer that ran onto the Road America track in Elkhart, Wis. Champ Car Series medical director Dr. Chris Pinderski said da Matta could be moved out of intensive care as soon as today. As of Thursday, he had not yet fully regained consciousness at Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah, Wis., but no longer was using a ventilator, Pinderski said in a statement. Pinderski said da Matta is showing gradual improvement and becoming more alert each day.(Miami Herald)(8-18-2006)

spdracer19 · Pick-um contest administrator

From Jayski.com:

Da Matta moved out of intensive care unit: Champ Car driver Cristiano da Matta has been transferred out of intensive care in Neenah, Wis., according to a news release from his RuSport racing team. Da Matta's condition has improved, but he is still not completely conscious, responsive or able to speak. Da Matta, 32, was injured after colliding with a deer that ran onto the track at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., during a Champ Car test Aug. 3. "Cristiano is still making daily progress while recovering from injury two weeks ago," Champ Car medical director Chris Pinderski said in the release. "(Saturday), he was transferred out of the intensive care unit to an intermediate care unit at Theda Clark Medical Center. We will now begin the process of planning for longer term rehabilitation, which is necessary after significant head injuries."(Indianapolis Star)(8-21-2006)

openwheelracer · Admin/Mod/Eyewitness

From Jayski.com:

da Matta has "rounded the corner": In racing speak, Cristiano da Matta has "rounded the corner" according to Dr. Chris Pinderski, medical director of Champ Car. "Cristiano is doing great. He's communicating in two languages, Portugese and English," said Pinderski, who was visting the 32-year-old Brazilian driver Wednesday at the Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah, Wis. "He's still pretty confused but he calls his girlfriend by her name and recognizes his mother and father and brother. He's made excellent progress." The 2002 CART champion suffered a near-fatal head injury after being struck by a deer on Aug. 3 during a test at Elkhart Lake, Wis. Quick response by the Champ Car safety team and Pinderski, coupled with neuro surgery within two hours of the accident, gave da Matta a chance to survive. Since then, the popular driver known as "Shorty" has come out of his coma and made steady progress, which really acclerated the past week. "I asked Cristiano which team he drove for and he immediately began talking and engineers and wings," said Pinderski. "So he's thinking in auto racing terms, even if he isn't quite sure what he's saying yet. He's also walking around and, hopefully, next week we'll get him into a rehabilitation hospital." Pinderski has remained cautiously positive during the past two weeks but clearly likes what he's seeing now. "Cristiano still has a long way to go but I think he's turned the corner."(Speed Channel)(8-31-2006)