Taylor Gray to miss Richmond truck race after streetcar accident

Taylor Gray's Truck Series debut has been put on ice. Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images
Taylor Gray's Truck Series debut has been put on ice. Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images

Taylor Gray's NASCAR debut will have to wait a little while longer after the young driver suffered multiple injuries in a streetcar incident.

Taylor Gray was supposed to compete in his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Richmond but will have to withdraw from the race after suffering several injuries in a streetcar accident.

The incident occurred Wednesday night in Statesville, North Carolina, and left Gray with a fractured vertebra, foot and ankle.

David Gilliand Racing, whose truck Taylor Gray was supposed to drive at Richmond, released a statement about the incident on Thursday afternoon, which stated that Gray had undergone surgery earlier in the day to repair his L4 vertebra and would be undergoing another procedure at a later date. It also bore bad news for those looking forward to his NASCAR debut:

"David Gilliland Racing driver Taylor Gray underwent surgery earlier today at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. for a fractured L4 vertebra. Gray will also undergo another surgery in the coming days for a fractured left foot and ankle due to the accident. Gray is expected to make a full recovery. Gray will not make his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start in the No. 17 entry at Richmond (Va.) Raceway on April 17 as previously scheduled. The No. 17 has been withdrawn from the Richmond event."

For those that may not be familiar with Taylor Gray, he is a competitor in the ARCA Menards Series, and made headlines for filming himself while driving during a test session at Daytona International Speedway. He currently sits 20th in the ARCA driver standings and has a total of eight top 5s and 12 top 10s.

The setback is no doubt a huge disappointment for Gray and his fans, who were looking to see him race a truck, but will now be hoping for a speedy recovery for the 16-year-old.