Fantasy NASCAR Racing

was a NASCAR driver.  He was born in Springfield, Missouri, to Dean Roper and Shirley Medley.  Growing up his family was heavily involved in auto racing.  Roper started racing in 1986.  For the next six years Tony raced in IMCA Modifieds and late models on Midwest dirt and asphalt tracks.  In 1992 he finished in second place for the American Speed Association Rookie of the Year award.  He started racing in the Craftsman Truck Series in 1995, and the Xfinity Series in 1999.  He ran in 60 Trucks series events, with a best finish of second at Indianapolis Raceway Park in 1998. (Now O'Reilly Raceway Park).  He qualified 19th but made a strong run to get to the front and compete for the win.  Jack Sprague edged out Roper for the win by two seconds.  This was Roper's only top five finish.  He also competed in the Xfinity series racing in 19 events driving the #50 Dr Pepper sponsored vehicle.  He posted three top 10 finishes with a best finish of eighth at South Boston VA.  On October 13, 2000, Roper was racing and crashed in the Truck Series O'Reilly 400 at Texas Motor Speedway when he attempted to go three wide to pass Steve Grissom.  However, another truck veered up the racetrack in the tri-oval, forcing Roper to evade, turning him into Grissom's front bumper.  The contact caused Roper's #26 Ford to take a sudden hard-right turn, which then caused the truck to slam head-on into the concrete wall of the tri-oval. Roper died the next day