The 61-year-old Longmont man hit Sunday by a flying go-kart wheel is in critical condition at St. Anthony Central Hospital in Denver, a spokeswoman at the hospital said today.
Bev Lilly said that driver Richard “Rich” Vito was brought to the hospital Sunday after the accident at IMI Motorsports, 5074 Weld County Road 8, near Dacono.
The wheel on another go-kart broke off, bounced across the track for about 150 feet and hit Vito in the head as he drove around the mile-long track.
The racers were driving go-karts equipped with TAG 125cc engines capable of reaching speeds of more than 80 mph.
Brad Linkus, the owner of the track, knows Vito well, calling him a frequent patron.
Linkus said today that the incident was a freak occurrence.
“I’ve been racing since I was 14, and I’m 52 now,” said Linkus. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Linkus said three, 8mm studs hold the tire to a go-kart and that all came off simultaneously. He said the driver of the go-kart whose wheel fell off pulled to the side because he was unable to drive.
That the wheel would travel 150 feet and hit Vito was a “weird, freak deal,” said Linkus. “It knocked him out instantly.”
Vito was wearing a helmet at the time.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
