Following Major Accident Involving Team Transporter, Motor Coach
DENVER (Nov. 16, 2010) — One day after the transporter and motor coach for Furniture Row Racing were heavily damaged in a major accident on northbound Interstate 25 in Colorado, team general manager Joe Garone said that all systems are in place for this weekend’s Sprint Cup season finale in Homestead, Fla.
The accident, which involved 34 vehicles on the icy highway, occurred Monday at approximately 8:40 a.m. near Larkspur, Colo., 40 miles south of the team’s race shop in Denver. The Furniture Row vehicles were returning from Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race in Phoenix.
The two Furniture Row race cars for this weekend’s Cup event will be transported from the race shop to south Florida in the team’s test transporter. Once the test transporter arrives at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Richard Childress Racing will provide the No. 78 Furniture Row team with a fully-loaded racing transporter.
“Words cannot describe how grateful we are to Richard Childress Racing for immediately stepping up and offering its support,” said Garone. “Furniture Row Racing also wants to extend a sincere thank you to the NASCAR community for the outpouring of support we have received since the accident. It has been overwhelming and truly shows the spirit of brotherhood that embodies our sport.”
The team’s transportation drivers — John Slingerland, Dennis LaCroix and Gary Miller — escaped serious injuries and all have returned to the Denver area. The damaged motor coach and transporter, which housed the two Phoenix race cars and racing equipment, have been towed to an impound lot.
Garone added that he was extremely proud of the team’s transportation drivers for how they navigated their vehicles to avoid serious incidents under adverse weather and road conditions.
“Our tractor/trailer averted head-on collisions and our motor coach driver — Gary Miller — put his life on the line when he made a split-second decision to ram into the back end of the team’s trailer instead of running over cars,” explained Garone. “It was a brave move that most likely avoided serious injuries to others. If you saw the aftermath of the motor coach, you would know what I mean.”
