Sad Day in NASCAR

We're very sorry to hear that an airplane belonging to Hendrick Motorsports crashed on approach to the Martinsville airport this morning, shortly before the start of the Nextel Cup Race which was eventually won by a Hendrick driver, Jimmie Johnson. There were 10 fatalities, including Rick Hendrick's son Ricky, his brother John, and John's twin daughters. Also killed was Randy Dorton, engine builder for Hendrick, and a pilot for Tony Stewart who was traveling on the plane.

NASCAR teams spent a tremendous amount of time flying, and over the years, aircraft accidents have claimed a number of lives, including 1992 champion Alan Kulwicki and driver Davey Allison in 1993. Flying is another risk associated with the sport.

Our prayers go out to the Hendrick organization, which owns the cars of Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte and Brian Vickers, as well as Busch series driver Kyle Busch. You can read more about it on NASCAR.com, and if you'd like to send your condolences, you can do so here.