NASCAR Hall of Famer Jack Ingram continues to recover from a serious car accident that occurred Sunday morning in Asheville, North Carolina.
Ingram, who turns 81 on Dec. 28, remains in intensive care in a Memorial Mission Hospital in Asheville. He was transported there after his car was struck by a pickup truck one block from the former Asheville Motor Speedway, where Ingram starred for many years.
The former two-time Busch Series champion suffered five broken ribs, a collapsed lung and a puncture wound on his left side in the crash, according to a family statement on CaringBridge.org.
He also suffered internal bleeding and a damaged spleen that required surgery to stop the bleeding Sunday night.
Two passengers were in Ingram’s car. One suffered minor injuries and was taken to an area hospital, while the other passenger was uninjured.
Here’s an excerpt from the family’s most recent update about Ingram’s condition on Tuesday:
“Jack is continuing on today his road to recovery. He is where he needs to be, optimally, health-wise. He is making small strides and while he is heavily sedated on purpose for the breathing apparatus, he is responding to simple commands made by hospital staff and family.
“We are encouraged with his current state and remain cautiously optimistic. As always, we appreciate your prayers and well wishes and positive thoughts. We can’t thank you enough.”