Bradford, Vt.
White River Junction resident Josh Sunn was airlifted from the track to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center with serious injuries following Saturday evening’s crash. He underwent surgery on Monday for a bulging disk in his neck; fortunately, he is expected to make a full recovery, his brother-in-law Bobby Prior said in a Tuesday night telephone interview.
Video of the crash shows Sunn trying to pass another car while rounding a corner during a United States Auto Club Dirt Midget Association heat race. As he tried to pass, Sunn and the other car collided, sending Sunn’s car into a barrel roll. His car flipped several times before bouncing over the retaining wall that lines the perimeter of the track and coming to a rest on its side.
“I kept thinking, ‘Josh, come walking over that bank,’ ” Prior said.
But he never emerged.
“As the minutes kept going, I started to get a little concerned,” Prior continued. “They weren’t telling us anything; we really didn’t know much. We knew DHART was coming, so we knew he was alive. But you always think of the worst.”
Sunn, a Hartford High School graduate, was traveling between 65 and 70 mph at the time of the crash.
He is a lucky man, Prior said.
The only other apparent injury Sunn suffered in the crash was a concussion. If all goes well, Prior said, Sunn is expected to be discharged from the hospital this week.
On Monday night, he was awake in his hospital bed and entertaining visits from several people who had stopped by to see him.
Bear Ridge Speedway put out a Sunday news release detailing the night’s winners and informing the racing community about Sunn’s crash.
“In the Laquerre Sports USAC DMA Midgets, Josh Sunn went for a wild ride out of the track in his heat race after wheel-hopping a competitor,” the release said. “The heat race was red flagged and Sunn was airlifted to the local hospital for precautionary observations. Sunn is being reported as A-OK (but) very sore.”
Sunn is a familiar face at Bear Ridge Speedway, where he has raced in several different classes for over a decade.
He and his FMR Racing partner, Adam Pierson — who both race Midget cars for Connecticut-based Frank Manafort — often battle a sea of competitors to claim first and second place, Prior said.
“He is a fan favorite at (the) Bradford speedway; he has been up there a long time,” Prior said.
Though races at Bear Ridge end next month, racers and fans can expect to see Sunn back on a track — whether it be in Vermont or elsewhere — by the end of the year. Doctors’ orders are that he refrain from racing for about two months, but after that, he is good to go.
When asked if Sunn would return to racing, Prior didn’t hesitate.
“Oh, definitely,” he said.
Jordan Cuddemi can be reached at jcuddemi@vnews.com or 603-727-3248.