MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Jimmie Johnson’s series-high sixth victory of the season Sunday was overshadowed by word that a plane carrying members of the Hendrick Motorsports organization crashed on the way to Martinsville Speedway. Eight passengers and two pilots died in
MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Jimmie Johnson’s series-high sixth victory of the season Sunday was overshadowed by word that a plane carrying members of the Hendrick Motorsports organization crashed on the way to Martinsville Speedway.
Eight passengers and two pilots died in the crash, a spokesman with the National Transportation Safety Board said.
A spokesman for a funeral home where the bodies were being taken said the dead included the son, brother and two nieces of Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports, one of the most successful teams in NASCAR history.
NASCAR officials informed Johnson and three other Hendrick drivers of the crash after the race. Johnson was excused from Victory Lane.
“We’re working very closely with members of the Hendrick organization,” NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said. “We’re just saying extra prayers right now.”
In Sunday’s Subway 500, Johnson pulled away from Rusty Wallace and Ryan Newman on a restart with seven laps to go to climb four spots in the season-ending title chase. Kurt Busch was solid again and moved one step closer, with four races remaining, to wrapping up NASCAR’s first playoff championship.
In a race where leading contenders Jeff Gordon struggled and Dale Earnhardt Jr. was never a factor, Busch finished fifth and expanded his points lead to 96 over Gordon and 125 over Earnhardt, who fell to third.
