Race driver injured in the stands

Greg Cooper is known as a tough but safe competitor at Nebraska race tracks. That's why his auto racing competitors find it sadly ironic that he would be injured while simply watching a race Sept. 4 at the Nebraska State Fair.

Cooper, 41, of Alvo, was taken to BryanLGH West Medical Center in Lincoln in critical condition. He suffered head injuries after falling about 20 feet from the second-floor concessions area at the fair's grandstands about 10:30 p.m. A hospital spokesman said Tuesday that Cooper remains in critical condition.

Deb Collins, a spokeswoman for the Nebraska State Patrol, said investigators determined that Cooper “jumped up to sit on the top railing and fell backwards, landing on his head on the concrete below.”

Joe McDermott, executive director of the State Fair, said the metal railing did not give way. “There was no problem with the railing,” McDermott said. “He simply fell backward.” Collins said the injury has been ruled an accident.

Cooper has raced for several years and is a regular driver at the I-80 Speedway near Greenwood. Donnie Jones, the track's general manager, said Cooper finished tied for seventh in the Pro-Am division for the 2009 season.

Terry Cleveland, a Lincoln driver who also races in the Pro-Am division, said he always felt safe battling Cooper with their cars on the 0.4-mile, banked dirt track.

“You have to fight for every inch with Greg,” Cleveland said. “He and I would be side-by-side, just inches apart, in turn after turn, but I always felt confident that we would come out of it without hitting.”

Cleveland said news about Cooper’s accident has spread through the racing community. “We are all hoping for the best,” Cleveland said. “Greg is a very, very good competitor, a great driver and a great personality.”

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