By Ben Deatherage
OAKLEY, Calif. (Feb. 21, 2025) – February 22, 2008, is a day forever etched in the memory of Kellen Chadwick. On that fateful evening, while competing in Modified action at Central Arizona Raceway in Casa Grande, Arizona, tragedy struck. During the race, after colliding with a spun car, Chadwick’s car flipped multiple times before being struck by another vehicle near the roof. His car eventually came to a rest, but not before a terrifying fire ignited, when fuel caught flame. The then 22-year-old racer was quickly attended to by safety crews who extinguished the flames and extracted him from the wreckage. Complaining of neck pain and tingling in his arm, Chadwick was transported to a hospital in Phoenix for urgent medical attention.
The injuries sustained by the Oakley, California racer were severe—7 broken vertebrae in his neck and 2 in his back, with 31 total fractures altogether, artery damage, and burns to his back and right arm. The severity of the trauma led doctors to place him in a medically induced coma, and he remained on a ventilator until March 1st. Immediate surgery was required to repair a damaged artery linked to his brain.
“The doctors don’t know how he didn’t get killed, much less being able to walk or use his hands,” said fellow California racer Ryan McDaniel at the time.
Before Chadwick could be released, he was fitted with a halo for head and neck stabilization and had to use a walker as he began the challenging journey of regaining his strength. Through extensive physical therapy, he miraculously achieved a clean bill of health and returned to racing. Incredibly, just six months after returning home, Chadwick claimed victory in a Super Late Model feature at Petaluma Speedway on September 19th.
“That one was a rough one for sure,” Chadwick reflected. “It took some time to get back going again, but we’ve been pretty successful after the accident.”
A Career Rebuilt on Determination and Success
Since his return, Chadwick has amassed an impressive list of accomplishments in Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly competition within the Shaw Race Cars Western Region. He has twice claimed the prestigious IMCA Wild West Speedweek title (2016 and 2019), was crowned the Antioch Speedway track champion in 2024, and secured a major victory at the R. Charles Snyder Salute at Southern Oregon Speedway.
Before his accident, Chadwick had qualified twice for the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Post-accident, he added two more qualifications to his resume, including a career-best 8th-place finish in 2010.
Despite a slight limitation in neck mobility, Chadwick has no lingering effects from the crash.
A Poignant Return to Central Arizona Raceway
Amongst all his post-crash accomplishments, there is one that stands out: his emotional return to the 3/8-mile clay oval that nearly claimed his life. In January 2025, Chadwick competed in the second week of the IMCA TV Winter Nationals at Central Arizona Raceway. With his wife, Christina, serving as his sole pit crew, Chadwick opened the event with a deeply emotional heat race win.
“That was a good one for me mentally,” Chadwick said. “We were able to get out in front, get away from the field, and turn some good consistent laps. It was good to get that one out of the way and now just focus on the fun aspect of the racing deal and try and get better. It was different coming back here—I’ve been doing this a long time, and I don’t really get nervous in a race car, but I did get nervous and had a lot of butterflies before the heat race and even during our practice session the night before.”
Chadwick qualified for three of the four features in the highly competitive event, with his best result being a 13th-place finish on January 16th. Returning to “The Big House,” the track that had once altered the course of his life, marked a triumphant and emotional milestone for Chadwick—a true testament to his resilience, determination, and love for racing.