INDIANAPOLIS – Sprint car and midget racer Tanner Thorson is still in the hospital after being involved in a multi-car accident on California Highway 99 early Monday morning.
USAC officials have confirmed that Thorson underwent a second surgery on Wednesday to repair his broken right foot. He previously underwent an operation on Monday to set a fracture in his left arm.
The Minden, Nev., native also had a breathing tube installed to assist in re-inflating his collapsed lungs.
In addition to those injuries, Thorson also suffered a cracked sternum, broken ribs and a punctured lung in the accident, but is expected to make a full recovery.
Thorson most recently competed with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, in his home state of Nevada, on Wednesday and Thursday, and the accident occurred while he was en route home to Tri-C Motorsports’ Sacramento, Calif., race shop.
California Highway Patrol officials confirmed that Thorson, driving a pickup truck that was hauling his team’s winged sprint car, rear-ended a milk truck around 4 a.m.
According to CHP, Thorson was drowsy and didn’t slow quickly enough after he entered a construction zone, leading to the crash, which collected two additional vehicles.
The 2016 NOS Energy Drink USAC National Midget Series champion was scheduled to compete with Tri-C Motorsports in this weekend’s Shamrock Classic inside the Southern Illinois Center in DuQuoin, Ill.
Thorson’s plans for the season were to make a run at a second USAC title. He finished ninth and seventh in the season’s first two features at Florida’s Bubba Raceway Park in February.