Means Breaks Shoulder Blade in Practice Accident at Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Driver Jimmy Means sustained a broken left shoulder blade Wednesday in an eight-car crash during the final practice session for today’s Daytona 500 qualifying races.

No other drivers were seriously injured. Means was taken to Halifax Medical Center and kept overnight for observation. It won’t be determined until today if Means will be able to race.

Spared from the wreckage was pole-sitter Kyle Petty, who was running near Jimmy Spencer’s Ford when, according to some drivers, Spencer’s car got loose and others started spinning.

Means was leaving pit road when several cars reached the turn.

“Now let me stress this, (Means) didn’t cause the wreck,” Petty said. “He was right where he was supposed to be. . . .

“We had to move up to get around him, and I don’t think the guys behind us anticipated us slowing down as much as we did. They just started running over each other. We all just got to the same place at the wrong time.”

Cars damaged beyond repair besides Spencer’s and Means’ were those of Michael Waltrip, Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Labonte.

Joe Ruttman was in the garage in street clothes when “Spencer confronted me about being the cause of the accident. I’ve caused some accidents in my day, but never when I wasn’t on the track.”