Zach Yost

G.R. Smith of Cornelius, N.C., is expected to be out of action eight to 12 weeks with compression fractures in his lower back suffered Friday in a crash during World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series heat-race action at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa.

Smith, competing for the first time since his Team 22 Inc. parted ways with full-time driver Ashton Winger on July 23, got out of shape entering turn three at the half-mile track, skipped up the banking and hit the outside wall head-on. Slow to emerge from his mangled race car, Smith took an ambulance to a nearby hospital for X-rays.

“We had a good night going … had a really good car. Just went down in the corner, it dug in (the track) and it started to bicycle,” Smith said. “Got it to sit back down, but I got so high in the air that when it slammed down it actually cut the seat bracket through the seat underneath it. That was pretty wild. Hurt my tailbone and it absorbed all the impact, so when I landed it was tingling and I didn’t really have any feeling at first.

“It was kind of crazy. I didn’t want to get into the back of the ambulance, but (new World of Outlaws competition director) Steve Francis was pretty persistent, which I’m glad he was. I did not want to go to the hospital, but then after that, he pushed me to go over there.”

While the injury doesn’t require surgery, Smith was fitted with back brace and will undergo physical therapy.

“It’s a pretty painful deal,” Smith said. “It’s just an area where we can continue to make these cars safer. It was a violent impact. I guess it didn’t look bad when watching the replay. It didn’t look as bad as it felt. I felt it. Drivers have had scarier-looking wrecks and flips and all that. It was the slam-down impact that really hurt.”

Smith thanked York, Pa., driver Rick Eckert for assisting and hosting his crew and to Francis and WoO staffers for checking on him.

“It was a bummer to get injured. Really felt we had a good car. Who knows what could have happened. Definitely think we could have ran top-10 or top-five our first Outlaw race back. That would’ve been real cool. It didn’t happen. We’ll try again next time.”