PENSACOLA, Fla. – A violent crash during the Pro Truck feature sent one driver to the hospital during the opening night of racing during the Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway Thursday.
The crash took place on lap 48 of the 50-lap Pro Truck feature. Steven Davis and Hunter Johnson were fighting for position inside the top-five when the two made contact as they raced towards turn one. The contact from Davis turned Johnson right into the outside wall, where he also made contact with the truck driven by John Heil.
The contact with Heil turned Johnson’s truck on its side, sending the roof of the truck into the outside wall and retaining fence. The race was immediately red flagged as safety officials worked to remove Johnson from his destroyed race truck.
He was eventually extricated from the truck and transported to a local hospital for evaluation. In a Facebook post several hours later Johnson confirmed he had suffered a broken vertebrae in the crash. Davis was later disqualified by event officials and scored last in the running order.Â
Casey Roderick would go on to win the Pro Truck feature once the race resumed, but was later disqualified in post-race tech. Gavin Graham was declared the winner after crossing the finish line second. Other winners Thursday included Brandon Fowler in the sportsman division and Robert Loper in the pro stock class.