Bradenton 19-year-old was in sprint car race crash that injured NASCAR’s Alex Bowman
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Conner Morrell, 19, of Bradenton, was involved in an accident with NASCAR Cup Series driver Alex Bowman during a sprint car race at 34 Raceway in Iowa on Tuesday night.
When the incident happened, the two were battling for second place, with Morrell in the lead.
Bowman, driving car 55, hit Morrell’s back tire, sending his car into the air and flipping four times before stopping off the track, according to TMZ Sports.
Bowman’s car flipped many times before stopping on the track. Both men walked away from the crash, but Bowman later found out he suffered a vertebral fracture.
Stephanie Hsu, Morrell’s mother, told the Bradenton Herald on Thursday that the crash was the worst she’d ever seen her son involved in and said it was quite scary to watch.
“Even though I was watching him fly through the air and flip multiple times, I just had a feeling he was going to be okay,” Hsu said. “Maybe that’s a foolish feeling to have, but he’s been racing since he was four.”
@Alex_Bowman and Conner Morrell go for big rides at @34Raceway! Both drivers out of their cars under their own power @HighLimitRacing pic.twitter.com/avR7J4nbfI
— FloRacing (@FloRacing) April 26, 2023
Conner’s dad, Allen Morrell, said he was driving from downtown Bradenton when he got word of the crash.
“Oh my God, I had to pull over for a second and wait for someone to call me back letting me know Conner is okay,” his dad said. “His car was literally destroyed.”
Allen Morrell said his son escaped serious injury and is just bruised and sore. He in good spirits and is thankful both drivers are okay.
“I’m thankful to the great emergency staff at the racetrack and all those people because it was a heck of a crash. I am super grateful that Alex Bowman is going to make a recovery,”Morrell said.
Bowman’s racing team, Hendrick Motorsports, said in a press statement that he’d be out for three to four weeks as he heals and will miss the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series competition at Dover Motor Speedway.
Josh Berry, 32, will fill in during Bowman’s recovery, the release said.
Conner Morrell, on the other hand, although very sore, is gearing up for his next race at Kokomo Speedway in Indiana on May 2.
Morrell is a member of the Marc Dailey Racing team, and Amalie Oil Company is one of his biggest sponsors.
He shared in a Facebook post that he’d apologized to Bowman after the wreck and wished him a speedy recovery.
