Driver Roper Dies in Crash

Two days before NASCAR announces the results of its investigation into the death of Dale Earnhardt, another NASCAR driver died on the track.

Stock-car champion Dean Roper died Sunday afternoon from injuries in an ARCA event at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, 11 months after his son, Tony, was killed in a NASCAR truck series race in Texas.

Six NASCAR drivers--Dean Roper, Tony Roper, Earnhardt, Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin and Michael Roberts--have died in racetrack incidents in the last 15 months.

Roper, 62, crashed his 1997 Ford Taurus into the inside retaining wall on the front straightaway during lap 17 of the 100-lap event in one of NASCAR’s lower divisions.

Roper’s car made contact with the wall several times before hitting the end of the pit-row exit head on.

Rescue workers cut away a portion of the car’s roof and removed Roper, who was unconscious. He was pronounced dead at 2:18 p.m. An autopsy will be performed today.

Roper’s brother, Dale, told the Springfield State Journal-Register he believes Dean may have had a physical problem coming out of turn four that caused him to lose control.

“I think, and I could be wrong, that he had some kind of seizure or heart attack coming out of turn four,” said Dale Roper, who was Dean’s spotter.

Officials for the Automobile Racing Club of America inspected Roper’s car and found no evidence of any mechanical malfunction that could have caused the accident.

Roper was wearing a neck collar, a requirement of ARCA, and not a head-and-neck restraint. It’s unclear whether that device could have saved his life.

On Tuesday, NASCAR promises to detail the cause of death of Earnhardt, who died on the final lap of the Daytona 500.

Roper was the USAC Stock driving champion from 1981-83, and was the winningest ARCA series driver on dirt with nine career victories.