SAUGUS SPEEDWAY : Grosso, 63, Injured in Exhibition

One of the founding members of the Western Racing Assn. was critically injured when his vintage midget race car flipped over during a demonstration race at Saugus Speedway Saturday night.

63, of Burbank was airlifted to UCLA Medical Center after being attended to by on-site paramedics for several minutes following the incident which occurred during intermission.

“It was just an unfortunate accident or mishap,” WRA President Dan Fleisher said after the accident. “He’s being transported to the hospital for further observations.”

The incident delayed race action for several minutes. At one point, emergency crews attached white sheets to the track’s protective fencing to shield Grosso from view of many of the more than 3,000 in attendance.

Grosso was in the middle of the 20-car field exhibition when he collided with Rudy Sorer’s midget car that had spun out in the center of the main straightaway.

Sorer was also injured in the collision and was transported by ambulance to nearby Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital for further observation with a possible broken elbow.

In the 25-lap Street Stock oval main event, Rich Ocheltree of Sherman Oaks passed pole-sitter Brian Kelley of Arleta on the second lap and held on to win his first feature race of the season.