Da Matta Remains in Intensive Care

Champ Car driver Cristiano da Matta remained in intensive care with a serious head injury Friday, a day after his race car collided with a deer that had wandered onto the track during a test session at Road America.

Champ Car series spokesman Eric Mauk said the driver was in the intensive care unit at Theda Clark Memorial Hospital in Neenah, where he was airlifted and had surgery to remove a ruptured blood vessel in his head.

Road America media director Julie Sebranek said she had never heard of a similar incident at the track.

“The race track has been here for 50 years. It’s highly, highly unusual,” Sebranek said Friday.

An 8-foot chain link fence topped with barbed wire circles the 628-acre property, which is surrounded by wooded terrain and farm fields.

When asked how the deer got onto the property, Sebranek said: “They have been known to jump the 8-foot fences.”

“It’s just a freak thing and we just maintain the property as we do on a daily basis,” she added.

Da Matta, 32, has 12 career Champ Car victories -- including four consecutive victories in his championship season of 2002, tying a series record.

Da Matta began the season with Dale Coyne Racing, then moved to RuSport team at midseason after A.J. Allmendinger was fired.