After Ricky Craven crashed in Texas four years ago – his third major accident in about 12 months – the world of NASCAR questioned whether he could safely drive a stock car.

“A real job scared me,” said Craven, who many times figured his racing days were over because of his concussion in 1997. “I think the thing that was most difficult was people’s opinions, or the perception of you.”

Enter owner Cal Wells, a self-described expert on head injuries and, as luck would have it, a huge Craven fan. He was one of the few who wasn’t afraid to give another chance to Craven, who’s now headed for a well-earned comeback at the Pennsylvania 500 on Sunday.

Last weekend, in front of his local fans in Loudon, N.H., the driver from Newburgh who also lived in New Hampshire announced that his contract with Wells had been renewed for 2002. That means two straight years with the same team, two straight years of not wondering where his next ride is coming from – and the relief of knowing at least one person out there believes in him.

Has the contract healed all the wounds? Not really.

Each week, Craven sees people who might have hired him but didn’t. It stokes a competitive fire that has burned since he started driving on small tracks in New England as a kid – the same determination everyone saw in 1995, when he was Winston Cup Rookie of the Year.

“I’m bitter at a few of these guys in the garage,” Craven said. “There are a few guys in the garage who told me wonderful things, and I got close to an opportunity and I didn’t hear back from them. Word got back to me, ‘We’re really concerned that you’re still hurt.’ So at that point, I was close to surrendering.”

The injuries came in a quick, terrifying cluster for Craven.

First, there was a ghastly barrel roll at Talladega Superspeedway in 1996. He suffered a spinal compression fracture. In the hospital, watching the replay on TV, he told friends he felt sorry for the driver in that awful-looking wreck. They had to remind Craven that he was the driver.

A milder wreck came a few weeks later in Concord, N.C.

Then, the accident in Texas. It kept him out only a few weeks, but he should have sat out longer. After opening the 1998 season and struggling – with his vision and headaches to say nothing of his performance – doctors advised him to take a break. He wound up resigning from Hendrick Motorsports and finished 46th in the points.

He picked up part-time rides in 1999 and 2000, but never finished a race among the top 10. And nobody was ready to commit on a full-time basis to a driver with a history of head injuries who couldn’t stay competitive in races.

“This is a performance business, and the common reaction from people, me included, is that the first time you have a bad race, people start to speculate,” Craven said. “With me, what are you going to speculate on? The first thing you’re going to speculate on is, ‘Is he healthy?’ ”

Wells really wanted to find out. So, after the open-wheel circuit owner’s first year in NASCAR went bust with Scott Pruett, Wells met with Craven and his wife, Cathleen. He was overwhelmed by their smarts and enthusiasm.

“I actually overlooked him the first time I was looking for a driver,” Wells said. “But Ricky was perceived as damaged goods, and you’ve got to do due diligence.”

Wells feels like he knows more about head injuries than the average guy in the garage. He has had six concussions himself. When he was 18, the former off-road racer was involved in an awful crash away from the track that left him incapacitated for 18 months with a head injury that ended his driving career.

He sent Craven to the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore for a full array of tests.

“We spent a lot of time and money with him there,” Wells said. “He checked out more than OK.”

Naturally, racing for an up-and-coming team isn’t the formula for piling up victories. Still, Craven has shown signs of success. He has two top-five finishes this year – something he hadn’t achieved since 1997 – and feeling of gratitude.

“I have a passion for what I do and, by gosh, I have a great opportunity,” Craven said.

Wells clearly wants him, as he proved by picking up his option for 2002. The next step for Craven is winning, and living up to the potential he showed in 1995.

Craven figures that will come with time. This is his first full season around the Winston Cup circuit in five years. Many of the tracks seem foreign to him.

“Thank God I haven’t bounced off the wall in the last three years, and I’m hoping I don’t get beat up again,” Craven said. “But my knees aren’t going to knock together worrying about it.”

He says every driver is exposed to considerable danger. Like most, he tries to ignore it.

“If you think about it, you’re in big trouble,” he said.