Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Racer and sometimes-motojournalist Papa Thiam suffered spinal injuries in a crash at Summit Point Raceway in Summit Point, West Virginia Sunday, during a WERA Regional weekend.

Thiam, 30, fell during a race and hit a tire wall in front of a dirt embankment in turn three.

Thiam is hospitalized in the Surgical Intensive Care Center at Washington Hospital Center.

Thiam is a financial analyst for an airline and is based in Washington, DC.

His writing has been published in Roadracing World, Sport Rider and the now-defunct American Roadracing.

Cards and letters may be sent to:
Papa Thiam
Surgical Intensive Care Center Unit 4G
Washington Hospital Center
110 Irving Street, NW
Washington, DC 20010-2975

At post time, Thiam was partially paralyzed and was scheduled to undergo surgery on Wednesday, June 12.

According to WERA Operations Manager Sean Clarke, riders do not normally hit the tire wall in question; Clarke said that he did not know how Thiam got so far off the track but planned to investigate the incident.

The tire wall did not have haybales or soft barriers in front of it.