Ray Paprota
| Ray Paprota | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Born | Raymond P. Paprota[1] May 13, 1962 New Brunswick, New Jersey |
| Died | June 29, 2022 (aged 60) |
| NASCAR Goody's Dash Series career | |
| Debut season | 2002 |
| Years active | 2002–2003 |
| Starts | 3 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Poles | 0 |
| Best finish | 41st in 2003 |
| Last updated on: December 20, 2024. | |
Raymond P. Paprota (May 13, 1962 – June 29, 2022) was an American professional stock car racing driver who competed in the NASCAR Goody's Dash Series from 2002 to 2003. He also competed in the IPOWER Dash Series and the ISCARS Dash Touring Series from 2004 to 2005.[2][3][4] A paraplegic, he was the first and only paraplegic to compete in NASCAR.
In 1984, Paprota, who was a pilot for the U.S. Air Force, was involved in a car accident in New Jersey that caused injuries to his neck that left him as a paraplegic.[5] After rehabilitation, he went on to participate in wheelchair basketball, and moved to Birmingham, Alabama in 1993. Paprota attempted to participate for the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games, but suffered a shoulder injury before the try-out.
On February 8, 2004, Paprota was involved in an incident during a caution period during the IPOWER Dash Series race at Daytona International Speedway, where Roy Weaver, a safety worker at Daytona International Speedway, was killed when he was struck by a car driven by Paprota. Weaver was attempting to pick up debris from a racing accident at the time.[6][7][8][9]
Motorsports results
NASCAR
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Goody's Dash Series
| NASCAR Goody's Dash Series results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | NGDS | Pts | Ref | |||||||||||
| 2002 | Four Tech Racing | 01 | Pontiac | DAY | HAR | ROU | LON | CLT | KEN | MEM | GRE | SNM | SBO | MYB | BRI | MOT DNQ |
ATL 21 |
51st | 184 | [10] | |||||||||||
| 2003 | Paprota Racing | 0 | Pontiac | DAY | OGL 21 |
CLT | SBO | GRE | KEN | BRI | ATL 19 |
41st | 206 | [11] | |||||||||||||||||
References
- ^ "Raymond P. Paprota (1962–2022)". We Remember.com. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "Ray Paprota". The Third Turn. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "Ray Paprota - 2004 Season Results - IPOWER Dash Series". The Third Turn. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "Ray Paprota - 2005 Season Results - ISCARS Dash Series". The Third Turn. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "Motorsports Memorial". Motorsports Memorial. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "Weaver struck by car during caution period". ESPN. Associated Press. February 10, 2004. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
- ^ "Death of worker ruled accidental". New Haven Registar. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "Track Worker Killed in IPOWER Dash Race". Lakeland Ledger. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "Worker Is Killed at Daytona". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "Ray Paprota - 2002 Season Results - NASCAR Goody's Dash Series". The Third Turn. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "Ray Paprota - 2003 Season Results - NASCAR Goody's Dash Series". The Third Turn. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
External links
- Ray Paprota driver statistics at Racing-Reference