| | Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS -- Jeremy Mayfield will miss the Brickyard 400
after being knocked unconscious in a hard crash Friday during
practice for the race.
The 31-year-old driver was admitted to Methodist Hospital, and
checked himself out Friday afternoon.
|  | | Jeremy Mayfield spins after hitting the wall Friday in practice for the Brickyard 400. |
Dr. Henry Bock, medical director for the speedway, said Mayfield
was "unresponsive" when safety workers first got to the wreck,
but described the injury as "a moderate concussion."
Kyle Petty, who failed to qualify his own car, will drive
Mayfield's backup Ford for the Penske-Kranefuss Racing team.
Mayfield, 15th in Winston Cup points, qualified fourth but Petty
will start from the rear of the 43-car field.
Mayfield was following teammate Rusty Wallace as the two Fords
approached the entrance to turn three on the 2½-mile oval.
Wallace's car twitched as it entered the turn and continued. But
Mayfield's car went into a spin and the driver's side of the No. 12
Taurus slammed hard into the concrete wall.
It took track safety workers nearly 10 minutes to remove
Mayfield from the battered car. The driver from Owensboro, Ky., has
won two races this season.
He blew a tire and crashed two weeks ago while leading on the
final lap of the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono International Raceway.
Wallace, running second at the time, wound up winning.
Two NASCAR drivers, Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin, died in crashes
during practice this year at New Hampshire International Speedway.
Busch series driver Petty was killed May 12, and Winston Cup driver
Irwin on July 7. | |
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 Jeremy Mayfield crashes during Friday's practice for the Brickyard 400.
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 Michael Kranefuss says Jeremy Mayfield sustained a concussion from his accident.
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