Pook recovering in hospital.

David Pook, son of newly appointed CART President and CEO Chris Pook, is recovering in a Phoenix hospital and has had his condition upgraded from critical to fair.

The HANS head and neck safety device appears to have once again proved its worth beyond doubt as 30 year old David Pook recovers in hospital following a vicious testing accident last week at the one-mile Phoenix International Raceway.

After being taken to the Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix listed in critical condition, Pook is now awake and listed in fair condition. His father Chris, the long-time promoter of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and recently appointed CART President and CEO, is with him in hospital.

According to a release on CART's official website www.cart.com Pook was moved from the Intensive Neurological Care Unit on Friday following his turn one accident on Thursday during a NASCAR Featherlite test session at the one-mile dog-leg oval.

It is believed Pook's injuries are confined to a cracked vertebra, suffered as a result of the whiplash experienced in an impact and the fact that Pook was equipped with a HANS device undoubtedly saved his from further injury.

The exact cause of the crash has not yet been determined.