OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA. (July 29, 2019) – After a sprint car crash on Friday night left 18-year old Edmond, Okla. native Grady Chandler hospitalized with serious injuries, a group of racers and promoters quickly came together to create the Grady Chandler Benefit Race, a POWRi Lucas Oil West Midget League event scheduled for Saturday, August 17 at I-44 Riverside Speedway.
Injured in a non-wing sprint car crash on Friday night at Creek County Speedway, Grady suffered a severe neck injury with fractures to the C1, C2, C3, C4 and C5 vertebrae. A surgery was performed on Saturday morning to stabilize the fractures. An update from Grady’s mother this morning stated that he is alert and talking but has yet to regain feeling from the chest down at the moment.
At just 17-years old, Grady earned the 2017 POWRi Lucas Oil West Midget League championship with a campaign that included one win, eight top-five finishes and 11 top-ten results. A local competitor with national talent and unmatched work ethic, one of Grady’s most memorable moments came in August of 2015 when he was leading at I-55 Raceway and was only a few laps away from his first-career POWRi National Midget victory when motor trouble shattered an otherwise impeccable night.
Scheduled for Saturday, August 17, the Grady Chandler Benefit Race will feature an auction with all proceeds going towards the Chandler family. If you would like to donate any items or help with the event in any manners, please contact Eric Fenton at powri_west@hotmail.com or get ahold of Stephanie Meents.
As Grady and his family head down this road to recovery, we ask that those interested in making donations to the Chandler family do so at www.stevekingfoundation.com. Tag “Grady” in your donation and 100% of the money will go towards the Chandler’s.
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