Tommy Baldwin Sr. killed in race

[Yitzy]

THOMPSON, Conn. -- Race car driver Tommy Baldwin was killed in a crash at Thompson International Speedway during a Featherlite modified race.

Baldwin, 57, of Moriches, N.Y., is the father of Tommy Baldwin Jr., the crew chief for Nextel Cup rookie star Kasey Kahne. The elder Baldwin died at Hubbard Hospital in Webster, Mass., after Thursday night's accident.

"He's a great guy, someone we all looked up to," Ray Evernham, Kahne's car owner, said from Brooklyn, Mich., site of this weekend's Nextel Cup race. "It's just a tragic loss for the whole sport."

Tommy Baldwin Sr. tried to avoid a collision with several cars coming out of a turn, state police said. His car went into the infield and struck three cement blocks near a light post.

State police said Baldwin's car was struck by a second car, driven by Ronald Silk, that had gone out of control and ended up in the infield. The 150-lap NASCAR race was postponed after 10 laps because of the accident and late hour.

Police said they would work in with NASCAR officials in the investigation. Both vehicles were taken to the state police barracks in Danielson.

Edited August 21, 2004 by Komodo 3000

[Hellfire]

i dont know who he is, but people dying like that is always sad, and something that shouldnt ever happen, but it does. RIP Tommy Baldwin Sr.

[Lowerdeck]

Don't know who the guy is. But yeah, it's sad when someone dies in an unfortunate accident like this.

The track where this occurred is in my town. That night it was raining early on. I read in the local paper the track was dry, but he slid across the grass after getting spun out. 10th fataility at TIS since 1941 too.

Perhaps the track here and other tracks around the Modified circuit (incl. Stafford and Waterford) will add some soft walls around the edge of the track and around light poles.