Former Busch champ Ard injured in ATV accident

Two-time Busch Series champion Sam Ard remained in stable condition Monday in the surgical intensive care unit at Carolinas Hospital System in Florence, S.C., after being involved in an accident on his ATV Sunday.

According to his daughter Joane Jones, the 68-year-old Ard sustained injuries to the left side of his face when he wrecked late in the afternoon in a ditch approximately a mile from his home in Pamplico, S.C. Bones above his eye and his cheekbone were broken.

It's Jones' understanding that a woman witnessed the accident and called for help.

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"Obviously, he was on a dirt road and just hit a ditch in a curve," Jones said. "That's basically all we know. He can't tell us details of the accident, and we weren't there. None of us actually witnessed it so we're not certain exactly what happened."

Ard was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease in May 2005. Jones, however, was not sure if that contributed in any way to Ard's accident. Jones added "it's fair to say" that her father is out of the woods when it comes to any of his injuries being life-threatening.

"They're still watching and monitoring closely, in case anything else surfaces that they're not aware of," Jones said. "At this time, they consider him stable, but he's still in the trauma department."

Ard is able to recognize and respond to family members, and knows that he's been in an accident. He faces reconstructive surgery as early as Tuesday.

"As a whole, our family feels extremely blessed that Daddy's doing as well as he is because it could have been fatal," Jones said. "The family would like to ask for prayers ... that's all, just for prayers."

Ard finished second in the 1982 Busch Series standings, and then won the championship in 1983 and 1984. He still holds significant records in the division, including most wins in a season (10, in 1983) and most consecutive wins (four, again in 1983.)

Head injuries sustained in a 1984 crash at Rockingham during the next-to-last race of the season ended Ard's career. Despite missing the season finale, Ard nevertheless won the title by 426 points over longtime rival Jack Ingram.