Renee Participates in SpeedwayEXPO '09
Renee was featured in the Speedway EXPO ad which appeared in The Herald newspaper.
On Friday, February 27 the annual SpeedwayEXPO returns to the Big E fairgrounds in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The SpeedwayEXPO Presented by Speedway Illustrated Magazine, a three-day show, is the largest event for racing enthusiasts in the Northeast. Thousands of devotees pack more than 130,000 square feet of exhibit space to take part in seminars and demonstrations; see retailers of racing gear and memorabilia; and visit with today’s and yesterday’s racing celebrities and their race cars.
This year’s EXPO will be extra special, as it coincides with the 10th anniversary of the closing Riverside Park Speedway (Agawam, MA). The Riverside Park Speedway Reunion’s grand opening ceremony will be held at 5 PM on Friday evening and kicks off with a video presentation featuring Ed Carroll Jr. (Ed owned the famed track and adjacent amusement park) and Mike Joy (now the lead announcer for NASCAR on FOX, Mike launched his broadcasting career at The Park). Along with Ed & Mike’s video, vintage racing footage and period music will be provided.
Special guests at the Reunion – which is presented by long-time Park supporter Budweiser – include: Bob Polverari, Moon Burgess, George Lombardo, Mike Stefanik, Reggie Ruggiero, Steve Park, Renee Dupuis, Billy Grecco, Dan Avery, Ted Chalmers, Bobby Seymour and Ted Christopher.
Those who attend the Reunion’s opening, on Friday night, will have a chance to win great gifts from Budweiser, including racing jackets, shirts and other racing-related prizes. The grand prize will be a Budweiser Mini Chopper valued at over $1,000.
For more information on the drivers participating in this year’s EXPO, including Renee, please click here.
SpeedwayEXPO Show Dates & Hours
Friday, February 27 5:00pm – 9:00pm
Saturday, February 28 10:00am – 9:00pm
Sunday, March 1 10:00am – 5:00pm
Renee Undergoes Knee Surgery
On Wednesday, January 21 Renee underwent knee surgery at Manchester Memorial Hospital (Manchester, CT).
Following diagnostic x-rays and an MRI, surgery was scheduled with Dr. Pedro Romero of Advanced Orthopedics to correct the alignment of her left kneecap. However, after the successful kneecap repair, Dr. Romero found a significant problem with the cartilage lining the bottom of her femur that neither the x-rays nor MRI indicated.
Because the cartilage was so damaged, Dr. Romero performed a Microfracture procedure. During Microfracture, the surgeon creates tiny fractures in the adjacent bones (through the use of an awl). As a result, blood and bone marrow (which contains stem cells) seep out of the fractures, creating a blood clot that, in turn, releases cartilage-building cells. The human body treats these microfractures as an injury to the body, resulting in new, replacement cartilage.
In order to allow the Microfracture procedure adequate time to build replacement cartilage, Renee will be non-weight bearing for 6 to 8 weeks. During the recovery, she is required to use a CPM (continuous passive motion) Machine for 6 to 8 hours per day. While a complete recovery is anticipated, her next option is partial knee replacement surgery.
“I was pretty surprised – and obviously disappointed – when Dr. Romero came to talk to me in the recovery room and explained that the injury was much worse than initially believed, especially that I need to be on crutches for 6 weeks or more,” Renee recently recounted. “When I got hurt at Stafford years ago, I did everything Dr. Romero and the therapists told me to do and I had a great recovery. At this point, I’m just following their recommendations, trying for the best possible outcome here.”
At this point in time, Renee’s surgery and recovery are not expected to have any impact on her 2009 race season schedule.