NHRA Pro Stock driver Camrie Caruso is expected to be out of commission for a minimum of six weeks with a broken left fibula and a possible sprained ankle following Saturday’s qualifying crash during the Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park.

Her  Aqua Prop/True Brand/Big Jeff Audio Chevrolet Camaro slammed into the left wall after she clocked a pass at 142.87 mph. The car then ricocheted across the track and made contact with the right-side wall before coming to a stop.

“First and foremost, I want to thank the fans and everyone who has reached out to me for support,” Caruso said Sunday morning in a prepared statement. “The NHRA community always rallies around one of its own, and that’s something I’ve now experienced firsthand. The outpouring of support has been incredible.
 
“My return date is a little up in the air at this moment, but I can’t wait to get back on the track and represent my incredible roster of partners aboard my Aqua Prop/True Brand/Big Jeff Audio Chevy Camaro.”

NHRA Medical Director Dr. Phillip Surface checked out Caruso’s injuries on site and sent her on to a Phoenix-area hospital for further evaluation.

The accident occurred during the third and final qualifying of the day for the Pro Stock class. Caruso was unqualified and was trying to break into the 16-car field. She remained unqualified.

Dallas Glenn, her KB Titan Racing teammate, said Sunday morning before eliminations, “That was a brand-new car, and we're obviously still getting some bugs worked out. All new cars are pretty temperamental, so it kept going right on her. And it's unfortunate. The shutdown’s a little bit bumpy, and it can get you if you're not ready for it.

“She definitely lifted when she needed to on the run,” Glenn said, recalling that three-time champion Jason Line “wrecked the same way in testing a few years ago when he was on our team. He lifted it half-track, coasted to the finish line, and then hit a bump in the finish line and just got the brakes a little too hot and locked it up.”

Glenn, who defeated Erica Enders for the rain-postponed Winternationals trophy moments after Caruso’s incident Saturday, said, “The Pro Stock class has been pretty good the last few years. We haven't had too many incidents, but we need to make sure we don't do that. These cars are really expensive, and they take a long time to fix.”

As for Caruso’s recovery, he said, “That's unfortunate. Hopefully it's not a major thing and she can be back up and running here shortly. You never want to see anybody injured in a race car.”