Tony Roper

Anthony Dean Roper (December 13, 1964 – October 14, 2000) was an American professional 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. Roper was determined to have a severe neck injury which prevented the flow of blood to his brain. He was put on a ventilator, and succumbed to the injury the day after the race, aged 35.

Aftermath Roper was one of three drivers to be killed in the 2000 NASCAR season alone, after Busch Series driver Adam Petty and Winston Cup Series driver Kenny Irwin, Jr. lost their lives at New Hampshire due to basilar skull fractures. Despite these incidents, NASCAR did not immediately mandate a head restraint like the HANS device to protect drivers; after Dale Earnhardt was killed at Daytona and a later crash in an ARCA race at Charlotte took the life of Blaise Alexander, drivers were required to wear a restraint to protect themselves.

Legacy The Tony Roper Scholarship Fund was founded after Roper's death. As of now, it is still running to this day.

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 NASCAR Busch Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 Pts Ref 1999 Xpress Motorsports 61 Chevy DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR40 41st 1284 Pontiac TEX16 NSV35 BRI10 TAL18 CAL30 NHA43 RCH18 NZH43 CLTDNQ DOV42 SBO8 GLN42 MLW10 MYB18 PPR40 GTY30 IRPDNQ MCHDNQ BRIDNQ DAR RCH DOV CLT CAR MEM PHO HOM 2000 Washington-Erving Motorsports 50 Chevy DAYDNQ CAR37 LVSDNQ ATLDNQ DARDNQ BRIDNQ TEXDNQ NSV31 TAL24 CALDNQ RCHDNQ NHADNQ CLT DOV SBO MYB GLN MLW NZH PPR GTY IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT CAR MEM PHO HOM 82nd 213

Craftsman Truck Series NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Pts Ref 1995 MB Motorsports 26 Ford PHO TUS SGS MMR POR EVG I70 LVL BRI MLW22 CNS HPT IRP FLM RCHDNQ MAR27 NWS SON MMR PHO 60th 219 1997 Brevak Racing 31 Ford WDW32 TUSDNQ HOM12 PHO36 POR23 EVG15 I709 NHA19 TEX20 BRI17 NZH33 MLW17 LVL20 CNS13 HPT25 IRP33 FLM9 NSV17 GLN24 RCH27 MAR21 SON17 MMR13 CAL14 PHO24 LVS27 18th 2604 34 TUS29 1998 31 WDW28 HOM36 PHO12 POR10 EVG6 I708 GLN30 TEX11 16th 3016 Gloy-Rahal Racing 55 Ford BRI15 MLW18 NZH12 CAL18 PPR10 IRP2 NHA36 FLM14 NSV21 HPT24 LVL6 RCH13 MEM17 GTY15 MAR18 SON12 MMR16 PHO25 LVS38 1999 HOM PHO EVG MMR MAR MEM PPR I70 BRI TEX PIR GLN MLW NSV NZH MCH NHA IRP GTY HPT RCH LVS LVL18 TEX CAL 89th 109 2000 MB Motorsports 26 Ford DAY HOM PHO MMR MAR PIR GTY MEM PPR EVG TEX KEN GLN MLW NHA NZH MCH IRP30 NSV34 CIC RCH21 DOVDNQ TEX29 CAL 54th 356