Priestley seriously injured in car crash at Kentucky Speedway

ACTOR Jason Priestley was seriously injured on Saturday when his car crashed in the final practice for an Infiniti Pro Series race at Kentucky Speedway.

Priestley, 32, former star of the “Beverly Hills 90210” television series, was taken by ambulance to the infield hospital and then by helicopter to the University of Kentucky Medical Centre in Lexington.

The nature of his injuries was not immediately known, an Indy Racing League spokesman said.

Priestley’s best finish in three starts in the IRL developmental series was second at Kansas Speedway. He qualified second on Saturday.

Priestley began racing in the California Rally Series in 1991 and the SCCA Pro Rally Series in 1992-95. He drove in the IMSA Firehawk Series and Magna Enduro Series in 1995-99, with his first victory in 1998. In 1998-99 he also drove in the Sportscar GTS1 Series.

Last season, he was a broadcast analyst for the entire IRL series, and this year joined the Kelley Racing team for the new Infiniti Pro Series, a developmental circuit with open-wheel cars that are similar but smaller and less powerful than the IRL cars.

Priestley was injured when his car crashed head-on into the wall coming out of the second turn in the final practice.

“He got sideways and he corrected and then shot off the track,” said former Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk, whose son, Arie Jr, also competes in the series.

“He turned right into the wall, and his first impact was head-on,” Luyendyk said.

Last year, Priestley completed an alcohol counselling programme he was ordered to attend when he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge stemming from a December 1999 car crash in Hollywood Hills.