Joe Duvall has spent years making a name for himself in dirt modified racing, competing in the USMTS behind the wheel of the No. 91. The Justice, Oklahoma, racer is also a former NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Oklahoma State Champion and a two-time Modified Track Champion at Outlaw Motor Speedway. Now, following a devastating work accident that left him severely burned, Duvall has opened up about the painful road ahead.
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“God was beside me and carried me. I’m thankful that I’ve been able to see Shelley and Addison again. I know you’ve heard two stories of my bypassing pain meds. My wife is the real tough one. I’m sorry this happened, and you’ve had to endure this nightmare,” the veteran racer said on his Facebook account on 30th August.
Duvall has spent the past several days recovering after suffering severe burns in a work accident a week ago. The USMTS Modified racer was admitted to the burn unit at a hospital, where doctors have been treating his injuries since.
The exact circumstances surrounding the accident have not been publicly shared. Duvall has also made it clear that he is not ready to discuss what happened, choosing instead to focus on his recovery and his family. His latest update offered the first real look at what the past five days have been like.
“I have limited use of my hands for now, but Shelley [his wife] has read them to me,” Duvall further explained in his post.
That detail has also highlighted the severity of his injuries. His wife has provided much of the information about his recovery since the accident. Shelley previously shared an update explaining that doctors had been able to address several burn spots during surgery. She also revealed that Duvall would need another operation to treat injuries involving his stomach, chest and back.
The second surgery was scheduled for Monday morning. About 12 hours ago, Shelley provided another update on Facebook, explaining that Duvall’s day had started positively before becoming more difficult and then turning positive again.
“Joe’s morning started off good, but the day got rough, but tonight he’s doing good. He will have his 2nd surgery tomorrow morning at 8:30.”
The updates have given Duvall’s racing community a glimpse into the difficult recovery ahead. Throughout it all, Duvall has maintained the same personality that has followed him throughout his racing career.
His roots in dirt modified racing run deep. In 2009, he captured the Modified Track Championship at Outlaw Motor Speedway before repeating the achievement in 2010. That same year, he also became the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Oklahoma State Champion. He has continued competing in dirt modified racing with his No. 91 car while also running Duvall Electric, LLC., an electrical contracting company headquartered in Claremore, Oklahoma.
Now, racing has temporarily taken a back seat as Duvall focuses on getting through multiple surgeries and the rehabilitation that will follow. Yet his final words in the latest update sounded less like someone preparing to step away and more like a racer already thinking about getting back behind the wheel.
“But I can guarantee all of you I’m going to pull a tear off, aim for the cushion, and pound it like it owes me money,” he added.
For someone who has spent years racing, Duvall’s latest message showed that the racer in him is still there. The road ahead will be tough, but the No. 91 driver clearly isn’t ready to give up.