Legends series driver, Toby Alfrey, injured at Xenia track
Sunday, May 18, 2008
KOIL Tour driver Toby Alfrey was released from Miami Valley Hospital on Saturday, May 17, following his stunning accident at Kil-Kare Speedway on Friday.
The Miamisburg resident suffered a closed head concussion and an injury to his left arm that could be a bruise, a fine fracture or a torn rotator cuff, said his wife Elonda Alfrey. She said Alfrey's arm injury will be re-evaluated in 7-10 days.
Extras
Alfrey was driving his Legends car at Kil-Kare when he slammed into the wall just past Turn 2 seven laps into the feature. The impact sent his car airborne and nearly flipping over the catch fence. Alfrey's car landed on its top between the wall and the catch fence in the backstretch, scattering pieces of debris.
"The catch fence worked really well and the safety equipment on the car did its job," said Kil-Kare general manager Rick Chrysler. "It's hard to train for a problem like that. You can talk about it and discuss it in a safety situation, but how do you plan for something like that? Everybody seems to be okay."
Alfrey remained upside down in the car for nearly 30 minutes and it took Kil-Kare crew, Xenia Township emergency workers and Xenia firefighters nearly 90 minutes to free him. He was taken by CareFlight to Miami Valley.
"It was just terror," Elonda Alfrey said of watching the accident. "I've never ever in my whole life seen anything go that high, even when he was driving midgets. I've seen them go through the catch fence, but not above the catch fence."
One spectator in the Turn 3 bleachers said had it not been for the catch fence Alfrey's car would have landed in the crowded stands.
"He was coming around the corner and two other guys got into him," he said. "He hit that wall so hard he went up in the air and came down right on his top. It was a sick hit. He flew up as high as the fence. We thought for sure he was coming up in the stands."
Legends cars are 5/8-scale full-fendered replicas of American autos from the 1930s and 1940s. They weigh 1,300 pounds with the driver and generate 122 HP.
Elonda Alfrey said Toby suffered additional bruises and cuts and the left side of his body took the most impact.
"He doesn't remember the wreck," she said. "He's pretty groggy because they have him on pain pills. He seems to be coming too. You can talk to him and he'll answer your questions. He's ready to get back in that car. ... He's on light duty and they said he's ready to go racing in a few weeks.
"Everyone he knows has called. If we need help to let them know. It's everybody. Even people I don't know are calling. Everyone is asking if we need help, does he need help getting the car back together."
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2400, ext. 6991 or gbilling@DaytonDailyNews.com.
