Sports: Craven's second shot starting to pay off

Craven's second shot starting to pay off

By JOANNE KORTH

Ricky Craven kept running into walls.

First came three accidents that left his body battered and his vision blurred. Then came a less-forgiving set of walls in the Winston Cup garage area.

Labeled damaged goods because of his health problems, no one hired Craven for anything but part-time rides for the better part of three seasons. He was just about to give up when along came NASCAR newcomer Cal Wells, a former off-road racer who claims to know a thing or two about head injuries. And potential.

In his first full season since 1997, Craven has two top-five finishes in the No. 32 Ford this season and announced last weekend that his contract to drive for PPI Motorsports has been renewed for 2002.

"Thank God I haven't bounced off the wall in the last three years, and I'm hoping I don't get beat up again," said Craven, 35. "But my knees aren't going to knock together worrying about it. ... I have a passion for what I do and, by gosh, I have a great opportunity."

Craven drove for Hendrick Motorsports when his string of accidents began with a barrel roll at Talladega Superspeedway in 1996, in which he sustained a spinal compression fracture. A few weeks later, he wrecked at Rockingham.

At Texas in 1997, Craven careened into the wall during practice, sustaining a concussion. He missed only a few weeks, but problems with his vision and headaches lingered at the start of the 1998 season.

He resigned from Hendrick Motorsports, and for the next 21/2 years, despite being cleared by doctors, he found nothing but part-time rides.

"The first time you have a bad race, people start to speculate," Craven said. "With me, what are you going to speculate on? The first thing you're going to speculate on is, 'Is he healthy?' "

Wells, whose first Winston Cup season was a failure with driver Scott Pruett, has had six concussions. When he was 18, he sustained a head injury in an off-track crash that ended his driving career.

Curious, he sent Craven for tests.

"I actually overlooked him the first time I was looking for a driver," Wells said. "But Ricky was perceived as damaged goods, and you've got to do due diligence. ... He checked out more than okay."

RUDD'S RETURN: It has been 51/2 weeks since Ricky Rudd was in victory lane at Pocono Raceway. Since then, not much has changed, making him a favorite for Sunday's Pennsylvania 500.

"It's probably to our advantage to go back so soon," said Rudd, who won for the first time in two seasons driving the No. 28 Ford for Robert Yates Racing.

"Everybody's equipment is pretty much the same as the last time we were there. We were a very good race car. We qualified on the pole by about 2 mph. We raced well. ... We're going right back with the very same race car."

HAMILTON UPDATE: IRL driver Davey Hamilton had surgery on his right foot and ankle Wednesday at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.

Hamilton sustained severe injuries to his legs and feet in a crash during the Casino Magic 500 on June 9 at Texas Motor Speedway. He has had several surgeries since.

Hamilton plans to return to his Indianapolis apartment next week and expects his recovery to take several months.

FRENTZEN FIRED: Formula One's Jordan team said it fired German driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen, replacing him with Brazilian Ricardo Zonta for Sunday's German Grand Prix.

Zonta, Jordan's test driver, is not necessarily going to fill the seat for the rest of the season, Jordan spokeswoman Christine Gorham said.

HOW FAST ARE HIS FINGERS?: Jeff Gordon will appear on a "Sports Superstars" edition of ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, scheduled to air in September.

The three-time Winston Cup champion joins Charles Barkley, Serena Williams, John Elway, Johnny Bench, female boxer Leila Ali and pro skateboarder Tony Hawk on the program.

ANOTHER PETTY: Austin Petty, 19, son of Winston Cup driver Kyle Petty, won a 15-lap Bandolero Outlaws division race Tuesday at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.