Team Harley-Davidson’s Rich King won the Grand Slam main event, and Bryan Smith won the Pro Singles main event on a tragic evening that saw no less than three riders airlifted to the Harbor View Medical Center in Seattle, Washington, following separate accidents during both the Pro Singles and Super Singles & Twins main events at the Formula USA National Dirt Track event at Emerald Downs in Seattle, Washington, on September 22.
Most seriously injured was Team Harley-Davidson’s female phenom, Jennifer Snyder, 18, of Grand Saline, Texas, who suffered multiple traumas in a crash during the Pro Singles main event. Snyder was battling for the lead when she drifted high off turn four and struck a portion of the wall which was not protected by hay bales. Snyder was airlifted to Harbor View Medical Center and underwent surgery for compound fractures above and below the knee in her left leg, and a severed left pinky which could not be reattached. Snyder also suffered two broken wrists in the crash. As of Monday morning, Snyder was still in the Intensive Care Unit at Harbor View, but was in stable condition, and was reportedly alert and responsive.
During the Grand Slam main event, Saddlemen Racing/Lancaster Harley-Davidson’s Mike Hacker was also airlifted to Harbor View Medical Center after suffering a similar crash in the Super Singles and Twins main event. Although Hacker’s condition appeared to be serious at the track, he was released on Sunday with no apparent serious injuries, and is currently on his way back home to Virginia.
Las Vegas Harley-Davidson/Roeder Harley.com’s Jess Roeder was also seriously injured in a crash during the Grand Slam main event. Roeder was able to make the restart for the main event, in which he finished sixth, but then reportedly complained of numbness in his back and was airlifted to Harbor View Medical Center, where he was diagonosed with three cracked vertebrae in his neck and a punctured lung. Roeder has been fitted with a halo, which he will be required to wear for a number of weeks as a precautionary measure. Roeder is expected to make a full recovery.
Here are the top 10 from each main event:
PRO SINGLES: 1. Bryan Smith (ATK); 2. Willie McCoy (Yam); 3. Steve Murray (ATK); 4. Eli Price (Rtx); 5. Terry Poovey (Rtx); 6. Scooter Vernon (ATK); 7. Davey Durelle (Suz); 8. Kyle Ragsdale (Rtx); 9. Steve Liberty (ATK); 10. Tim Eades (Rtx).
GRAND SLAM: 1. Rich King (H-D); 2. Bryan Smith (ATK); 3. Willie McCoy (ATK); 4. Gary Rogers (H-D); 5. Steve Liberty (H-D); 6. Jess Roeder (H-D); 7. Steve Liberty (H-D); 8. Beau Brown (CCM); 9. Don Wilson (Rtx); 10. Eric Rickman (H-D).
