Front tire changer Nick Krizmanich of Chip Ganassi Racing will undergo open-heart surgery on March 29. Krizmanich has been a mainstay on pit road for the last few years working with multiple teams, including the Nos. 11, 2 and 42. This year Krizmanich was slated as the backup for the Nos. 1 and 42.
“My condition was found during a physical,” Krizmanich said. “The condition the doctors are fixing is called an aortic insufficiency. They will be replacing the main aortic valve in my heart through open-heart surgery. Apparently, the valve I was born with has a defect and doesn’t close all the way, not allowing blood to fully pump through my heart and body.
“Thankfully, they found it, and it’s getting fixed before it got even worse.”
Good luck to Nick in his surgery. There has been a GoFundMe page set up, if you would like to help: https://dm2.gofund.me/2fvcvnz6
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