Driver suffers broken rib in rollover at the raceway

BUTTE — The second oval track wreck of the season resulted in ambulance response to Alaska Raceway Park Saturday.

The wreck, which involved driver Rodney Pucak, was the second of the year.

“You don’t ever really get used to it. This is the third wreck that required ambulance assistance since we’ve opened up,” Operations Manager Michelle Lackey Maynor said of the 3-year-old oval.

The first wreck of the season happened during opening weekend on May 26.

“Hopefully this is the end of it because it’s good experience, but not the kind of experience I want to get,” Lackey Maynor said.

Pucak was coming around turn one and accelerating, traveling at around 60 mph, according to Lackey Maynor. He is an experienced racer competing in the INEX Legends series which races replica coupes or sedans with a 1300cc Yamaha motor. The wreck happened during the first heat when the #68 car took a sharp right as Pucak was trying to pass him. Pucak’s #99 car popped into the air and flipped seven times. Ambulances were on scene as soon as the crews got Pucak out of the car.

“It appeared to be part of racing. The type of cars that they drive are kind of open wheel cars so they tend to drive over each other, this one just happened to be pretty gnarly,” Lackey Maynor said.

Pucak was taken to MSRMC but only suffered a broken rib. The car did not fare as well as Pucak did, according to Lackey Maynor. Pucak was held overnight for precautionary purposes and released on Sunday.

“Our crew did everything correctly and Rodney's safety equipment did exactly what it was supposed to do. Every event at the track is an opportunity to improve. We have had a safety debrief and are fine tuning procedures, should something happen again,” said Lackey Maynor.