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Speedway to collect donations Saturday for injured driver
Driver who suffered heart attack during race in coma, on life support
By CHANTAL ESCOTO
The Leaf-Chronicle
The owner of Clarksville Speedway hopes to have a full house Saturday as drivers take time out during the race to collect donations to help the Johnson family.
Mike Johnson, 51, crashed his Pure Mini car on the track Saturday after suffering a heart attack. His family said he was still in a coma at Vanderbilt University Medical Center as of Thursday and remained on life support. Doctors told the family he had suffered severe brain damage and wasn't expected to live.
"There's no fixing him back to the way he was," said his wife of 35 years, Teresa Johnson, through heavy tears. "He was a good man."
Tammy Scogin, owner of the Clarksville Speedway, said Mike Johnson had been racing at the track for more than 20 years. She said she wants to do what she can for the family because Mike was self-employed and the sole provider for the family. She was not sure if the family has life insurance.
"Our prayers and thoughts are with the family," Scogin said. "I lost my dad at the age of 51 to a sudden heart attack and that was 12 years ago. I'm still hurting about that."
Scogin said the drivers will pass around their helmets into the spectator stands to collect donations.
"We have our (disagreements) every once in a while but everybody in (the racing community) has been pulling together. We're just one big happy family," she said.
Mike Johnson's tragedy was an unfortunate incident, Scogin said, and she's just thankful his car did not hit any spectators watching the race.
"What happened is just a freak ordeal. He never knocked a fence down," Scogin said about his car that literally flew over the safety fence, hit a water tower and landed on top of an open-wheel car waiting for the next race. He also had received third degree burns on his hands and back from the crash. "God was truly watching out for us that night."
Because the speedway is privately owned and operated, it falls under the authority of the State Department of Commerce and Insurance. Scogin said her business complies with rigorous standards to keep the track safe with high fences, concrete blocks and other measures. Additionally, trained off-duty paramedics from Fort Campbell and other areas always are on hand to take care of immediate medical needs.
"Often times we have AirEvac (medical helicopter) that comes in and lands up in the pits (as a precaution). They've been here about 15 times this year," she said.
"This track is 100 percent safer than it was when we bought it. Our first and foremost priority is the safety of our spectators and drivers."
Chantal Escoto covers the military and can be reached by telephone at 245-0742 or by e-mail at [email protected].
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Thoughts and prayers to him, his family, friends, and the whole racing world at Clatksville. I sure hope he beats the odds and comes out of this.
Speedway to collect donations Saturday for injured driver
Driver who suffered heart attack during race in coma, on life support
By CHANTAL ESCOTO
The Leaf-Chronicle
The owner of Clarksville Speedway hopes to have a full house Saturday as drivers take time out during the race to collect donations to help the Johnson family.
Mike Johnson, 51, crashed his Pure Mini car on the track Saturday after suffering a heart attack. His family said he was still in a coma at Vanderbilt University Medical Center as of Thursday and remained on life support. Doctors told the family he had suffered severe brain damage and wasn't expected to live.
"There's no fixing him back to the way he was," said his wife of 35 years, Teresa Johnson, through heavy tears. "He was a good man."
Tammy Scogin, owner of the Clarksville Speedway, said Mike Johnson had been racing at the track for more than 20 years. She said she wants to do what she can for the family because Mike was self-employed and the sole provider for the family. She was not sure if the family has life insurance.
"Our prayers and thoughts are with the family," Scogin said. "I lost my dad at the age of 51 to a sudden heart attack and that was 12 years ago. I'm still hurting about that."
Scogin said the drivers will pass around their helmets into the spectator stands to collect donations.
"We have our (disagreements) every once in a while but everybody in (the racing community) has been pulling together. We're just one big happy family," she said.
Mike Johnson's tragedy was an unfortunate incident, Scogin said, and she's just thankful his car did not hit any spectators watching the race.
"What happened is just a freak ordeal. He never knocked a fence down," Scogin said about his car that literally flew over the safety fence, hit a water tower and landed on top of an open-wheel car waiting for the next race. He also had received third degree burns on his hands and back from the crash. "God was truly watching out for us that night."
Because the speedway is privately owned and operated, it falls under the authority of the State Department of Commerce and Insurance. Scogin said her business complies with rigorous standards to keep the track safe with high fences, concrete blocks and other measures. Additionally, trained off-duty paramedics from Fort Campbell and other areas always are on hand to take care of immediate medical needs.
"Often times we have AirEvac (medical helicopter) that comes in and lands up in the pits (as a precaution). They've been here about 15 times this year," she said.
"This track is 100 percent safer than it was when we bought it. Our first and foremost priority is the safety of our spectators and drivers."
Chantal Escoto covers the military and can be reached by telephone at 245-0742 or by e-mail at [email protected].
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Thoughts and prayers to him, his family, friends, and the whole racing world at Clatksville. I sure hope he beats the odds and comes out of this.
