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Former NASCAR pilot Michael Stefanik died Sunday in a single-engine crash in Connecticut. He was 61 years old.
According to the Connecticut State Police, the accident occurred in the afternoon when Stefanik's Aerolite 103, single-seater, took off from the airport from Riconn to Coventry, in Northern Ireland, and crashed into a forested area of Sterling, near the border between the state of Rhode Island and Connecticut. The plane had turned back to the airport when it fell.
Allen Sayles, who attended the accident and lives near the airport, noticed that the plane was flying near the top of the trees. Two other eyewitnesses said that a few moments after the accident, Stefanik was standing, "walking" and "talking" near the wreckage. Stefanik was seriously injured and was burned during the accident and died later that day at a nearby hospital.
"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. "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 drivers He has made remarkable achievements in this sport that is probably untouchable, and his legacy as a champion will continue, and we will keep his wife Julie and his family and friends in our prayers. "
NASCAR pilot Dale Earnhardt Jr. commented on the tragedy and expressed grief. Earnhardt was involved in a violent plane crash last month in Tennessee, but escaped unscathed.
Stefanik's daughter, Nicole, also wrote a very sincere Instagram article about her father.
Stefanik has accumulated nine NASCAR championships over his three decades of career. The Massachusetts native also won the rookie of the year award in 1999 for his performance in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck series. In the same season, Stefanik finished 13th in points and was the only full season of his season in the Truck series.
In addition, Stefanik had 65 finishes in the top five and 10 in the top 10, with 12 wins. His last race was in 2005.
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