Tony Roper (racing driver)

Anthony Dean Roper (December 23, 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.

Tony Roper
Roper in October 1997
BornAnthony Dean Roper
(1964-12-23)December 23, 1964
Springfield, Missouri
DiedOctober 14, 2000(2000-10-14) (aged 35)
Dallas, Texas
Cause of deathNeck injury from racing accident in the O'Reilly 400 at Texas Motor Speedway
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
19 races run over 2 years
Best finish41st (1999)
First race1999 Diamond Hill Plywood 200 (Darlington)
Last race2000 Touchstone Energy 300 (Talladega)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 3 0
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career
60 races run over 5 years
Best finish16th (1998)
First race1995 Sears Auto Center 125 (Milwaukee)
Last race2000 O'Reilly 400 (Texas)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 8 0

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.[1][2] He was put on a ventilator, and succumbed to the injury the day after the race, 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.[1] It was the second fatality in the Craftsman Truck Series, the first being that of John Nemechek in 1997.[1] Roper's was the first racing fatality recorded at Texas Motor Speedway.

Tony's father, Dean Roper, died in a crash just a year later, on August 19, 2001. Also an accomplished dirt and modified racer, Dean Roper was competing at an ARCA race at the Illinois State Fairgrounds when on lap 17, he slumped on the steering wheel. He struck the inside wall on the front stretch three times before driving through an open section in the wall and crashing into the water barrels next to several spectators nearby; none of the spectators were hurt. The 62-year-old was rushed to the Memorial Medical Center nearby in Springfield, where he was declared dead. An autopsy revealed he had no injuries at all and that he had suffered a heart attack. Both Tony and his father Dean died in racing accidents within 10 months of each other.[3]

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 NBGNC Pts
1999 Xpress Motorsports 61 Chevy DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR
40		 41st 1284
Pontiac TEX
16		 NSV
35		 BRI
10		 TAL
18		 CAL
30		 NHA
43		 RCH
18		 NZH
43		 CLT
DNQ		 DOV
42		 SBO
8		 GLN
42		 MLW
10		 MYB
18		 PPR
40		 GTY
30		 IRP
DNQ		 MCH
DNQ		 BRI
DNQ		 DAR RCH DOV CLT CAR MEM PHO HOM
2000 Washington-Erving Motorsports 50 Chevy DAY
DNQ		 CAR
37		 LVS
DNQ		 ATL
DNQ		 DAR
DNQ		 BRI
DNQ		 TEX
DNQ		 NSV
31		 TAL
24		 CAL
DNQ		 RCH
DNQ		 NHA
DNQ		 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 NCTC Pts
1995 MB Motorsports 26 Ford PHO TUS SGS MMR POR EVG I70 LVL BRI MLW
22		 CNS HPT IRP FLM RCH
DNQ		 MAR
27		 NWS SON MMR PHO 60th 219
1997 Brevak Racing 31 Ford WDW
32		 TUS
DNQ		 HOM
12		 PHO
36		 POR
23		 EVG
15		 I70
9		 NHA
19		 TEX
20		 BRI
17		 NZH
33		 MLW
17		 LVL
20		 CNS
13		 HPT
25		 IRP
33		 FLM
9		 NSV
17		 GLN
24		 RCH
27		 MAR
21		 SON
17		 MMR
13		 CAL
14		 PHO
24		 LVS
27		 18th 2604
34 TUS
29
1998 31 WDW
28		 HOM
36		 PHO
12		 POR
10		 EVG
6		 I70
8		 GLN
30		 TEX
11		 16th 3016
Gloy-Rahal Racing 55 Ford BRI
15		 MLW
18		 NZH
12		 CAL
18		 PPR
10		 IRP
2		 NHA
36		 FLM
14		 NSV
21		 HPT
24		 LVL
6		 RCH
13		 MEM
17		 GTY
15		 MAR
18		 SON
12		 MMR
16		 PHO
25		 LVS
38
1999 HOM PHO EVG MMR MAR MEM PPR I70 BRI TEX PIR GLN MLW NSV NZH MCH NHA IRP GTY HPT RCH LVS LVL
18		 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 IRP
30		 NSV
34		 CIC RCH
21		 DOV
DNQ		 TEX
29		 CAL 54th 356
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References
  1. "ESPN.com - Auto Racing - Roper dies from severe neck injuries". www.espn.com. Retrieved 2016-12-22.
  2. "[NASCAR Truck Driver Roper Dies]". ABC News. 2006-01-07. Retrieved 2016-12-22.
  3. Long, Ray (August 21, 2001). "Driver dead before crashing". USA Today. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
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