ZIMMERMAN, Minn. – Craig Dollansky is continuing to sit on the sidelines as he recovers from a dislocated left elbow he suffered in a non-racing accident on April 29.
“The injury April 29 was a setback I really didn’t need personally,” Dollansky said. “I felt really bad for my Selvage Motorsports race team and others that it affected. I was just beginning to increase my fitness training, riding a bike and other things fitness-wise as I ramp back up from my back surgery and it was going very good. Initially when I knew it was a dislocated elbow and nothing broken, I was pretty encouraged thinking I could recover quickly without much down time from the cockpit of the race car.”
Unfortunately for the Minnesota driver, the road to recovery would take longer than he initially expected.
“My doctor told me no lifting, pulling or using my arm for eight weeks,” Dollansky said.
Dollansky has copeted at Knoxville Raceway during the season opener on April 20 prior to suffering the elbow injury.
“That night I felt very good in the car,” Dollansky said. “We had no brakes that night and once slide jobs started happening in my heat race I had to pull back. We were unable to get any brakes in the car that night so I made a few laps in the feature that night and pulled in.
“After attempting to race that first weekend I told my team I’d have to take quite a few weeks off. I’ve attempted to race on and off a few times since then, but not very effectively,” Dollansky said. “I had to have help buckling my belts, strapping my helmet among other things. I began physical therapy the week of the Knoxville World of Outlaws show and my physical therapist advised me not to race during this process or I could be right back where I started.”
The good news is the majority of the rehabilitation process is behind Dollansky.
“I’m at eight weeks, my range of motion is increasing quickly and I can get back to racing and get after it like we need to be,” Dollansky said.
In the interim, team owner Dustin Selvage attempted to run the car on the Friday of the World of Outlaws and broke the driveline and had to send the motor out to get checked out for damage.
Dollansky had originally planned to be back in the race car for the Jackson Nationals at the Jackson Motorplex, but now he expects to be back and ready to go on July 6 at Knoxville Raceway.
“We were planning on my return to the cockpit at the Jackson Nationals this coming weekend but unfortunately that’s not going to happen,” said Dollansky. “We should have our motor and car ready to get back at it at Knoxville on July 6.”
Dollansky returned to sprint car competition this year after a back injury forced him into retirement in 2017.