Although there always will be a risk of severe injury in racing, the death of a driver still hits the entire motorsport world hard. But its an even tougher pill to swallow if they lose their life away from the track, where that risk is lessened.
Ted Christopher, 59, was killed at 1:53 p.m. ET on Saturday, when the Mooney M20C plane that he was traveling on crashed in a field in North Branford, Conn., according to ESPN.
The seasoned short-track driver had recorded a total of 48 Whelen Modified Tour race wins and 10 K&N Pro Series East victories. As a result, he earned the respect of many within the sport, with NASCAR CEO Brian France reportedly even referring to him as “a throwback to NASCAR’s roots.”
As the news of Christopher’s death spread, Twitter was flooded with messages paying tribute to the fallen wheelman, from New England-area NASCAR tracks, to current and former Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers.
Thumbnail photo via NASCAR
