Tony Roper (racing driver)

Tony Roper

Roper in October 1997
Born Anthony Dean Roper
(1964-12-23)December 23, 1964
Springfield, Missouri, U.S.
Died October 14, 2000(2000-10-14) (aged 35)
Ft. Worth, Texas, U.S.
Cause of death Neck injury from racing accident in the O'Reilly 400 at Texas Motor Speedway
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
19 races run over 2 years
Best finish 41st (1999)
First race 1999 Diamond Hill Plywood 200 (Darlington)
Last race 2000 Touchstone Energy 300 (Talladega)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 3 0
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career
60 races run over 5 years
Best finish 16th (1998)
First race 1995 Sears Auto Center 125 (Milwaukee)
Last race 2000 O'Reilly 400 (Texas)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 8 0

Anthony Dean "Tony" Roper (December 23, 1964 – October 14, 2000) was an American stock car racing driver. A competitor in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, he died after suffering injuries in a racing accident at Texas Motor Speedway.

Early career

Roper was born in Springfield, Missouri, to Dean Roper and Shirley Medley. Growing up his family was heavily involved in auto racing, as his father was a noted competitor in ARCA and other stock car racing series. Roper started racing in 1986. For the next six years he raced in IMCA Modifieds and late models on Midwest dirt and asphalt tracks. In 1992 he finished in second place for the American Speed Association Rookie of the Year Award. He started racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 1995, and the Busch Series in 1999.

Death

At the Craftsman Truck Series O'Reilly 400 at Texas Motor Speedway on October 13, 2000, Roper was involved in an accident when he attempted to pass Steve Grissom and Rick Ware. Roper's Ford made contact with Grissom's front bumper causing it to take a sudden hard-right turn, which then caused the truck to impact the concrete wall of the tri-oval. An unconscious, unresponsive Roper was extricated from his truck, taken to the infield care center at TMS, and subsequently airlifted to Dallas's Parkland Memorial Hospital, where he succumbed to a major neck injury the next day, aged 35.[1]

Roper was the third NASCAR driver to perish from racing related injuries in 2000, the first two being Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin Jr., respectively. He is the only driver fatality in the history of Texas Motor Speedway.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Busch Series

Craftsman Truck Series

References

  1. ↑ CNNSI.com - Motor Sports - Roper dies of injuries in Truck Series crash, October 14, 2000
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