Knoxville, TN --- For Duayne Hommel, 25, of Newport, TN, the fight continues for the dirt Late Model star racer, but with optimistic progress being made. Hommel, the defending Southern Allstars Series champion, is continuing his treatment and long road to recover from his September 23 traffic accident that left him with life-threatening head injuries. Several days ago Hommel was upgraded from critical condition to serious condition. He continues his recovery at the University of Tennessee Hospital in Knoxville, TN. A surgery that was scheduled for this past Thursday is likely to be performed sometime Monday October 6.

"When we were over there earlier today and it looks like he´s back to normal and just laying there taking a nap," stated Ron "Flea" Fleenor, family friend and spokesperson close to midnight Sunday evening. "He´s squeezing our fingers and trying to talk. He´s moving all over the place now."

"He has a slight infection and it doesn´t look like it´s going to be that big of a deal. His temperature is up a little bit and once they get the temperature down then hopefully they´ll put the plates and wires in his face. He has some fractures in his face but nothing is really broken. But they need to go in there and wire things together so they will stay. They´re going to wire his jaw shut and try and get his face rebuilt once the temperature goes down."

"But he is doing real good. He´s squeezing our hand when we talk to him. He can hear what we´re saying. We´re all optimistic. Soon as he gets his face fixed up he should start to come around."

Fleenor also revealed that Saturday was perhaps Hommel´s best day since his accident. Fleenor is also hopefully that the surgery scheduled for last Thursday will take place on Monday or Tuesday at the latest.

"On Thursday they were supposed to do the surgery to put all the plates and everything in his face and get everything tied back down and they had some problems with his lungs and they couldn´t get it drained the way it´s supposed to so they had to do surgery to get it all out (fluids in lungs)," explained Fleenor. "So they´ll do that tomorrow (Monday) if possible."

Fleenor also reported that the special "Duayne Hommel Benefit race held at Tazewell Speedway in Tennessee Saturday evening was a huge success.

"Saturday evening we went to that benefit race up at Tazewell and that went great!" commented Fleenor. "We have to say thanks to Bill Webb and Rick Rush and all the guys at Tazewell who put that thing together in such a hurry. The auction was great. They auctioned off an 8 x 10" picture of Duayne in his car with Daegan in his lap for $325! Scott (Bloomquist) gave them a helmet of his that he has been wearing, autographed. Auctioned off a bunch of doors. If we had enough of the right size t-shirts we could have probably sold a thousand shirts. The drivers all helped out a lot too."

"Mike (Hayes, a Hommel crewmember) auctioned off his Mini Late Model #H2 replica and Full Moon sold a bunch of decals and had their helmet there and sold a bunch of tickets for it. Everything went well and the race went good. They gave Duayne all the entry fees. I called (Hommel´s father) Junior right before the feature and gave everyone there an update right before they fired the cars up for the feature and Junior told me it was his (Duayne) best day yet."

Fleenor was also excited to announce that during this coming weekend´s "Hardees-Xtreme Shoot-Out" at Dixie Speedway something substantial was being planned to benefit Hommel´s medical and personal expenses. Although details will be released from the Xtreme Dirt Car Series and Dixie Speedway, Fleenor was informed that it will be a "big deal".

"We´re getting a lot of stuff put together for the ´Shoot-Out´", stated Fleenor. "Mike Swims, Doug Bland and Roby Helm and those guys are planning on putting something together that is really cool and will be big time down there. We´re going to bring Duayne´s car to use as a pace car, have a big auction and just a big, big deal for Duayne down there. Roby will release the information as soon as the details are all worked out."

But bottom-line, there is progress being made on Hommel´s condition and that suits the family and friends just fine.

"(Hommel´s parents) Junior, Gayla and (Hommel´s wife) Christie want me to tell everybody that they, from the bottom of their hearts, appreciate everyone´s support, prayers and all the well wishes they have gotten," expressed Fleenor. "They are thinking of everybody."

"But right now everything is good. I told Chrisite that I´m giving him ten days to walk. I made a thousand dollar bet Thursday that he´ll be racing in February."

"And I´m not paying it!"

Fleenor also revealed that many fund-raising projects are underway to help raise money for the star driver´s medical expenses, as well as updated information on existing projects.

"Carolina Performance and Kip Cochran have got him a Mastersbilt chassis coming to raffle off," stated Fleenor. "The fellow helping put this deal together with Kip is named Woody. They are putting everything together and build the car at their shop. If someone wants to donate parts and get on the car they need to call Kip. There is still a lot of stuff to be had and (Hommel crew chief) Tommy (Hicks) is working on helping them get everything for it."

The chassis will come from Keith & Tader Masters´ Mastersbilt Race Cars while other components have been donated by Brinn Transmissions, Peterson Aluminum, Classic Powder Coat, Sweet Engineering, Winters, Performance Friction, Quick Car Gauges, Powell Pedals, Ultra Shield Belts, Oval Craft Seats and Poske Performance. Addition donations will be announced later.

"We asked them (Masters brothers) and they said, hell yes, we´re in," said Fleenor. "Been that way with about everyone that´s been asked. If anyone would like to help out just give Kip a call."

The raffle tickets for the new Mastersbilt Race Car and components are now available for $10.00 each. You can purchase the raffle tickets by check or money order at: Carolina Performance, 1009 Bell Dowdle Road, Franklin, NC 28734. You can also order raffle tickets by credit card by calling 828-369-2012. For additional information visit the Carolina Performance website at: http://www.dnet.net/jperry/carolinaperformance/home.html

Fleenor also revealed that a benefit golf tournament is being planned for next month.

"It´s still in the preliminary stages but ´Pup´ Thomas of Hoosier Tire is putting together a benefit golf tournament that will be held on Friday November 21," said Fleenor. "It will be held at the Flagstone Golf Course in Cleveland, TN."

Interested participants are encouraged to telephone Thomas at Hoosier Tire at 865-970-3110.

There are several other projects in place to help raise needed funds for Hommel and his family, which includes his wife, Christi, and son, Daegan, and parents Junior and Gayla.

Among the new fundraising projects will be replicas of Duayne Hommel´s door from his #H2 Warrior Race Car and orders can be placed immediately.

"We´re going to be selling doors for $150 each," informed Fleenor. "It may take a little bit to get them, like a couple weeks. So if someone wants one call the race shop and we´ll get a list of people who want doors. Once we get it figured out how many ordered we´ll go from there."

Anyone interested in purchasing a #H2 racecar door can call the Duayne Hommel Racing shop at: 423.613.5199.

Duayne Hommel Racing will also be raffling off a replica helmet with raffle tickets being sold at all of the remaining Southern Allstars Series races. The winning ticket will be drawn at the last Southern Allstars Series point event.

"The helmet raffle will be given away at the last Southern Allstars point races," confirmed Fleenor. "People can get tickets from the Southern Allstars souvenir trailer at their events and also at the Xtreme Dirt Car Series souvenir trailer at their two remaining events."

In addition Hommel crew member Mike Hayes, owner of Mike´s Mini Late Models, will be selling mini-replica dirt Late Models of Duayne Hommel´s famed #H2 dirt Late Model with all proceeds going to the Hommel family. The mini-replica´s are hand crafted from sheet metal and painted and decaled to resemble Hommel´s #H2 and are 1/12th scale and are priced at $100 each. To order a Duayne Hommel Mini-Late Model contact Haynes at: 423.625.6360 or visit the Mike´s Mini Late Models website at: http://www.racevibe.com/mini to view samples and order.

Hayes will also be raffling a #H2 replica car at each remaining Southern Allstars Series race for $5.00 per raffle ticket with a winner drawn each night. All proceeds go to the Hommel family.

Full Moon Graphics, who does the graphics for Duayne Hommel´s racecars, has produced a new decal with assistance from Larry, Josh & Justin Manning of Jacksonville, FL, and are available via mail order. All proceeds go to Duayne Hommel. To order send a SASE (self addressed, stamped envelop) and a check or money order to: Full Moon Graphics, 696 Highway 30 West, Athens, TN 37303. The decals are 6" x 5" so send an envelope accordingly. For more information contact Full Moon Graphics at: 423.745.7446. Website: www.speedartwork.com

Full Moon Graphics is also raffling a replica Duayne Hommel racing helmet. The raffle tickets will be on sale at various tracks to be announced and through their website. Tickets are $5.00 each and can be purchased through the address or telephone number listed above or through their website for credit card users.

Additional authorized benefit projects and fundraisers will be announced in the near future.

Cards and notes can reach Hommel at: Duayne Hommel Motorpsorts, 311 Industrial Road, Newport, TN 37821.

A fund has been set up to help assist Duayne Hommel defray medical expenses. If you would like to make a donation to assist Duayne, Christi and Daegan please send them to: National Bank of Tennessee, Attn: Duayne Hommel Fund, PO Box 669, Newport, TN 37822.










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