I've Got Your Back

Rick Mears started driving for Roger Penske on a part time basis in 1978. Previous to joining Team Penske, Mears had driven on a limited basis for Bill Simpson and Theodore Racing (Teddy Yip, Sr.). His talent soon became apparent. In his first year with Penske, he won three of the eleven races in 1978, finished second twice, and was the Co-Rookie of the Year at the Indianapolis 500 after finishing 23rd. In 1979, he won the Indianapolis 500 (Penske’s 2nd). Mears also won back-to-back CART championships in 1981 and 1982 and his second Indianapolis 500 in 1984.
 
As the 1984 season was winding down, Mears was practicing for a road race at Sanair, a small 7/8th mile trioval, about 50 miles from Montreal. Just a half hour into the opening practice, he was trying to pass Bobby Rahal who was running with Scott Brayton. Suddenly he spotted Corrado Fabi warming up on the track in front of him. Fabi was picking up speed and Mears clipped him. Mears’ car went airborne before slamming into the asphalt surface and sliding about 200 feet underneath the guardrail. The front end of the car was destroyed as the nose ripped out a retaining post as it slid down the track.
 
When the safety crew reached Mears, he was slumped in the car unconscious. Ominously his feet were sticking out of the front end of the car. It took a while for the safety crew to extract Mears from his destroyed racer. Penske and Dr. Steve Olvey, Championship Auto Racing Teams’ medical director, joined Mears in the track ambulance for the ride to the hospital. It was a very short trip. The track ambulance couldn’t be driven on the public highway so they had to wait for another ambulance to take him to the hospital.
 
Dr. Olvey quickly realized that the small St. Pie-du-Bagot hospital was not equipped to treat Mears’ injuries. At Dr. Olvey’s urging, Penske chartered a Forest Service helicopter to ferry Mears to a Montreal hospital. The outlook was dire. Not only did Mears have a concussion but his feet had been crushed in the accident and both Achilles tendons had been detached. The doctors at the hospital believed the treatment plan should be amputation of both feet.
 
Penske quizzed Dr. Olvey about his treatment recommendation. Dr. Olvey urged Penske to fly orthopedic surgeon Dr. Terry Trammell to Montreal from Indianapolis in his private jet for a second opinion. Dr. Trammell believed that despite the severity of the injuries, Mears’ feet could be saved. Mears was transported to Indianapolis in Penske’s Learjet where Dr. Trammell performed multiple surgeries on Mears’ feet. Dr. Trammell used techniques developed for severe hand injuries. Both feet were held together by screws and narrow wires. He also re-attached both of Mears’ Achilles tendons. Mears spent nearly four months in Methodist Hospital undergoing multiple surgeries and rehabilitation.
 
Not only did Penske get Mears the medical attention he needed to save his feet, he also told Mears that he had a job when his feet were finally healed. Although Penske never said “I’ve got your back” to Mears, he conveyed it through his actions.
 
Mears would return to racing on ovals only in 1985. He would win two more Indianapolis 500s for Roger Penske (1988 and 1991).  
 
Looking forward to the release of my newest book, Racing with Roger Penske. Stay tuned for an announcement in the not too far future. The books will be available from your local bookstore or on line at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.
 
If you know of someone who would enjoy this article, please forward it to them. If someone sent this to you and you would like to be added to my subscriber list, please let me know at sigurwhitakerbooks881@gmail.com.