By Shawn Brouse
Port Royal – After a hard crash at Port Royal Speedway on Saturday night, Harrisonville’s Mike Wagner was released from a Hershey hospital on Labor Day afternoon.
Wagner was racing in his sprint car heat race at the track Saturday night when he along with Doug Esh and Dave Hahn made vicious contact with the inside and outside walls and each other in the first corner.
Both Hahn and Esh, while battered and bruised, walked away from the accident while Wagner went on to try to qualify another car in the consolation race and that’s when another accident necessitated hospitalization for the racing veteran.
Wagner was diagnosed with a shattered lower lumbar in his back but was able to escape surgery.
As of Monday afternoon, Wagner was taking steps and was released from the hospital although dealing with considerable pain and discomfort while entrenched in a wrap to support his spine, a device he will have to wear for months.