After being hurt in a frightening crash Thursday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, Braden Eves tweeted a videotaped injury update from his bed at Methodist Hospital.
The Cooper Tires Indy Pro 2000 Indy GP ended under caution after 18 laps when Eves’ No. 1 Exclusive Autosport Tatuus PM-18 flipped in Turn 11 and landed on its roll hoop.
Eves’ team said the driver was awake, alert and stable after being extricated from the car and taken to the infield care center. He then was transported to the hospital and kept overnight.
Eves said he would need a few months to recover from fractures above his right eye and a couple of vertebrae in his neck.
Wanted to give you guys a little health update after my crash yesterday, I’m going to need a few months to recover, I fractured a couple vertebrae in my neck, as well as above my right eye. Thanks to everyone who has reached out, it means the world to me. I appreciate you all♥️ pic.twitter.com/Y43ftI43RN
— Braden Eves (@Bradeneves) September 4, 2020
Eves, 21, was enjoying a promising season in the Road To Indy’s second-rung ladder series, having climbed to second in the points standings after a July 29 victory at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
The up and comer from New Albany, Ohio, moved into Indy Pro 2000 after winning the championship last year in USF2000, the first step on the Road To Indy.
He received a torrent of support on social media after posting about his condition with NTT IndyCar Series drivers Graham Rahal, Pato O’Ward and Conor Daly among the well-wishers.
Get well soon bud. Take your time and heal up, you’ll be back before you know it. 💪🏻
— Graham Rahal (@GrahamRahal) September 4, 2020
In a release from Indy Pro 2000, IndyCar medical director Dr. Geoff Billows said he expected Eves “will be released from the hospital in the next day or two and expect him to make a full recovery.”
Juncos Racing driver Sting Ray Robb swept the trio of races Thursday and Friday to win the Cooper Tires Indy Pro 2000 Indy Grand Prix.
Through 10 of 17 rounds, Robb, who turned 19 Thursday, holds a 16-point lead (256-240) over Devlin DeFrancesco.
The series is expected to race again when IndyCar returns to Mid-Ohio in a race that is expected to happen on the Sept. 11-13 weekend but has yet to be confirmed.