Ballou Cleared to Race at Eldora

From Richie Murray INDIANAPOLIS (May 11, 2017) — Robert Ballou, the 2015 USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car champion, announced Thursday that he is cleared to race effectively immediately. He will make his return to the series this weekend behind the wheel of his own No. 12 at Eldora Speedway’s #LetsRaceTwo. His comeback closes an eight-month recovery from injuries he suffered in a vicious USAC/CRA Sprint Car crash in September of 2016 at California’s Calistoga Speedway during the “Louie Vermeil Classic.” After flipping and hitting the top of the turn one catch fence, the 28-year-old Ballou estimates his car fell 15-18 feet before contacting the track surface. Among his injuries were a C2 fracture in his neck, a burst fracture of the C7 and a compression fracture of T8 vertebrae. Following surgery, the Rocklin, California native found himself in a cervical spine brace for the next nine weeks as his body healed and he watched from the sidelines. But sitting on the sidelines will not be part of the gameplan this weekend when Ballou makes his long-awaited, highly-anticipated comeback to USAC racing. Rossburg, Ohio’s Eldora Speedway is a fitting return for the driver known as “The Madman.” After all, his first [...]