By STEVE EIGHINGER
Herald-Whig Staff Writer
Randy "King Kong" Korte, who won the 2006 UMP Summernationals race in Quincy, is recuperating from a crash that left him with a broken vertebra in his back.
There is no exact timetable for Korte, a 42-year-old Highland, Ill., late model driver, to return to racing. He is a two-time UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model national champion.
Korte suffered the injury Feb. 5 at East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Fla., driving for Riggs Motorsports.
He was involved in an early-race tangle that caused his car to bounce in the air and slam hard onto the track surface, according to information supplied by UMP.
"This is the first time in my whole career that I've been out (of action) for more than a week," said Korte, in a UMP release. "It's hard to be a spectator."
Korte said the crash was deceiving.
"It didn't really look like anything at all to the fans watching in the grandstand," Korte said. "But it knocked the breath out of me when I came down. I couldn't catch my breath for like five or 10 minutes, until I got oxygen in the ambulance. It was the most scared feeling I've ever had in my life."
On top of that, Korte felt pain in his back. Doctors ultimately discovered that he had broken the T-6 vertebra in his mid- to upper-back and it had stuck into his spinal cord, leaving him with a long road to recovery.
Doctors have told Korte he needs at least another month of inactivity so his vertebra could completely heal and pull away from his spinal cord.
"I don't want to rush it," said Korte. "If the doctor says I need to heal up more, there's nothing I can do but listen."
Korte's next doctor's visit is scheduled for May 13. He's hopeful to get back on the track well before the mid-June start of the UMP Summernationals.
Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.
Local stars involved in "Midwest Month of Money": With nearly $300,000 in prize money on the line, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is preparing for five events that span four states in 15 days this month.
The granddaddy of those races is easily the second annual SuperClean "Diamond Nationals" at the "Diamond of Dirt Tracks" -- Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo.
The showcase event set for May 9-10 is quickly becoming a must-see race among dirt racing enthusiasts, carrying a total purse exceeding $133,000. First-place in the 100-lap main event is worth $40,000.
At least two of the Quincy Raceways regulars, Mark Burgtorf and Denny Woodworth, are planning to take part at Wheatland. Woodworth won last Wednesday's Deery Brothers Summer Series race in Quincy.
For ticket and event information, visit www.LucasOilSpeedway.com or call (417) 282-5984.
The series opened this weekend at Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway in Calvert City, Ky.
National rankings: Billy "Mr. Smooth" Moyer of Batesville, Ark., continues to dominate the national late model rankings. Rainy weather over much of the eastern half of the country limited the number of major events last week, so there was little movement in the rankings.
The biggest news saw Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., move into the top 10 at No. 7. Following Moyer continues to be Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., Steve Francis of Ashland Ky., Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., Earl Pearson of Jacksonville, Fla., and Josh Richards of Shinnston, W. Va.
Marlar rolls to victory: Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., who finished 16th at Quincy Raceways in the 2007 Summernationals race, won last weekend's O'Reilly Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar series event in Beardstown, Ky.
The O'Reilly Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series sanctions regional Super Late Model events at tracks in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio and Tennessee.
Another Quincy connection: Wendell Wallace of Batesville, Ark., won last weekend's O'Reilly Southern All Star-sanctioned event in East Aboga, Ala., pocketing $5,000 in the process. Wallace finished 15th in the 2006 Summernationals race in Quincy.
Listen up: Fans wanting to listen to free broadcasts of World of Outlaws Late Model Series events can log on to www.dirtvision.com and click on the DIRT Radio Network logo. For additional information, go to the series Web site at www.worldofoutlaws.com.
-- seighinger@whig.com / 221-3377
