Veteran stock-car driver Robbie Brewer has died after suffering a medical emergency during a race at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, over the weekend. The 53-year-old's car struck a wall head-on on the quarter-mile track, coming to a stop near the start-finish line. Track workers removed the roof to extract Brewer, who was taken to a local hospital where he later died, according to the Winston-Salem Journal.
Track officials released a statement on Sunday expressing their sadness. 'Robbie was a talented and passionate racer, and highly respected competitor among his peers. Our thoughts and prayers are with Robbie's family and friends at this time,' they said.
Brewer was competing in a 20-lap Sportsman Series race at Bowman Gray, a venue that attracts thousands of racing fans weekly on Saturday nights in spring and summer. The track also hosted this year's pre-season NASCAR Cup Series exhibition event in early February.
Brewer made his first career start at the oval in 1990 and went on to make nearly 260 starts in the Sportsman Division, winning the points championship in 2011. Fellow driver Brad Lewis, whose race shop is near Brewer's home, described him as 'like a big brother' and a 'wheelman through and through'. Lewis vowed to honour him for the rest of the season and beyond.
