Jason Priestley keeping 'eye on the prize' during rehab

INDIANAPOLIS — Jason Priestley's half-grown beard gives him a haggard, tired appearance. But aside from that and a pair of lime-colored foot casts, the 33-year-old actor from Beverly Hills 90210 looks remarkably strong after a race-car crash that nearly took his life 25 days ago.Priestley, who is recovering at an undisclosed Indianapolis rehabilitation hospital, gave his first post-accident interview Wednesday to The Indianapolis Star. He was seriously injured Aug. 11 in an Infiniti Pro Series crash at Kentucky Speedway. "The frustration is (based on) not being in a race car right now," he said. "But other than that, it's not been that bad. "Rehab is way too hard, but you don't mind the work so much when you know it's going to pay you back ten-fold." Priestley, a native of Canada, broke both feet, the middle part of his back and suffered several fractures in and around his eyes and ears. Surgeries on his eye socket and the bridge of his nose are unnoticeable due to the small incisions made by doctors. Priestley is wearing a chest brace to restrict movement of his back, which has a pin in it. The casts on his feet are expected to be replaced Friday to allow him to apply a small amount of weight on them — up to 30%, he said. Priestley is expected to remain in Indianapolis for at least 10 more days before returning to his home in Los Angeles. His current rehabilitation program includes six hours of exercise per day. Priestley crashed at Kentucky when he drove his car through a section of oil-absorbing dust in the second turn of the 1.5-mile oval track during practice. When his car twitched at approximately 175 mph, he apparently overcorrected the steering wheel. The car shot to the outside wall, hitting nose-first before ricocheting toward the inside wall for a second abrupt hit. The on-board computer registered the second impact at 40 vertical Gs, which had the effect of trying to shoot Priestley out of the cockpit like a cannonball from a cannon. Officials from his team, Kelley Racing, said the bent steering wheel bore the imprint of Priestley's grip. Priestley, who remembers nothing about his accident or the days surrounding it, knows he is fortunate to be recovering at his current pace. "I know it was a big one (crash) and there were some bad things that happened," said Priestley, whose condition at the scene drew the IRL's highest medical alert. "But the most important thing is that I focus on getting better so I can go home. "I have to keep my eye on the prize." Priestley's girlfriend, Naomi Lowde, said he has no memory loss. Priestley is also working with speech therapists to speak more clearly after surgery repaired a fracture in his right ear drum. "He's a medical miracle," Lowde said. "He could have died from any one of his injuries." Priestley has been able to focus on his recovery because his hospital guest list has been kept to a minimum. Few people outside of his inner circle are aware of his location. The national media covering the entertainment industry have been put on hold, too, despite more than 100 interview requests. Priestley, who this summer put his acting career on hold to concentrate on racing, said he will evaluate his high-speed hobby when he recovers. "I want to get healthy and see how my feet work before I decide," he said. Priestley, who was part of ABC's 2001 broadcast team for Indy Racing League races, was considered a novelty act when he debuted as a Pro Series driver in July. But he finished second in his first race, at Kansas, and qualified second at Kentucky before his race-morning crash during practice. Lowde said that Priestley was training up to three hours a day before the wreck and even enrolled in a racing program to test his fitness. When Priestley was graded low on arm strength, he dedicated the next few months on improving his weakness. Lowde noted that Priestley's arms were only bruised despite the force they absorbed against the steering wheel. "He was serious about trying to become a great race car driver," she said of Priestley, a recovering alcoholic. "He gave up drinking six months ago and was in great shape. I think that's what saved him (from more serious injuries) and why he's three weeks ahead of schedule."