Mike Stefanik, nine-time NASCAR champion and modified race legend, was killed in a plane crash

Mike Stefanik, seven-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion and legendary short track racer, died Sunday as a result of a plane crash in Sterling, CT.

Stefanik was 61 years old.

Stefanik, of Coventry, R.I., crashed while piloting a single-engined single-seat aircraft, equipped with a single-engine Aero Ultra-Light aircraft. The accident occurred in Sterling, CT, near the Rhode Island border. The plane had taken off from the RICONN airport in Coventry, R.I.

"Mike Stefanik was one of the most successful drivers in the history of NASCAR, but he was even more representative of our sport," said Jim France, president and CEO of NASCAR, in a statement. "His hard and competitive nature and his excellence on the track earned him the respect and admiration of fans and competitors. His career spanned more than 30 years, connecting generations between Jerry Cook and Richie Evans to our current drivers. He has recorded untouchable achievements in this sport and his legacy as a champion will continue. We will keep his wife Julie and his family and friends in our prayers. "

Stefanik raced for the last time on the Whelen Modified Tour in 2014. He is the division's most sacred driver with 74 career wins on 453 starts between 1985 and 2014. In addition to his seven titles at the Whelen Modified Tour (1989) , & # 39; 91, & quot; 97, 1998, 2001, 2006), Stefanik also won championships on the former Busch North series (now the K & N Pro Series East Series) in 1997 and 1998.

He competed in a full season NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series in 1999.

Stefanik was inducted into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2018. He was nominated for the first time at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015.

Stefanik, a native of Wilbraham, Mass., Made his racing debut on the former Riverside Park Speedway circuit in Agawam, Massachusetts.

Stefanik's death comes almost two years to the day after the death of one of his fiercest competitors in the modified races, Ted Christopher, who was also killed in a plane crash. Christopher was killed in a plane crash towards Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway for a Whelen Modified Tour event on September 16, 2017.

After getting away from the race, Stefanik discovered a passion for the plane and often flew his own Ultra-Light. Many sources told RaceDayCT that the plane that Stefanik was flying Sunday did not belong to him.

In October 2018, Stefanik, on an unrivaled podcast of RaceDayCT talked about his passion for driving his Ultra-Light.

"I'm not one to sit on the porch and I like a bit of thrills," Stefanik said. "I am a little thriller seeker. … I can not erase the smile from my face every time I fly with this thing. I call it a flying garden chair. But it's actually a pretty cool little plane. "

Read also: Mike Stefanik found his passion in flying after getting away from the race