From Jayski - Sad News: Shane Hammond NorthEastern Midget Association driver Shane Hammond was killed in an accident Sunday at Thompson International Speedway, the Connecticut State police confirmed. Hammond, 27, of Halifax, Mass. was involved in a crash on the fourth lap of a scheduled 25-lap NEMA Midget feature. Hammond’s car made contact with the car driven by Chris Leonard of Pelham, N.H. heading into turn 3. Hammond’s car ended up going over the concrete wall at the entrance to the corner and through a loose banner billboard above the wall. It was unclear if Hammond’s car impacted directly with the stanchion holding the banner billboard upright. Hammond’s car was entirely over the wall and caught in the billboard when rescue personnel arrived at the scene of the crash. The accident took place at 1:06 p.m. Rescue personnel spent about 12 minutes extricating Hammond from the car. The ambulance carrying Hammond left the track at 1:18 p.m. headed to Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam. Track officials said they expected that Hammond would be airlifted to a trauma center from Day Kimball. State police dispatcher Jay Robillard at Troop D in Danielson said Hammond was pronounced dead at Day Kimball. Robillard said only that Hammond sustained “traumatic injuries”(Hartford Courant)(4-7-2008)
Race Car Driver Killed in Crash
AP
Posted: 2008-04-07 09:19:53
THOMPSON, Connecticut (April 6) - An American racer was killed when his midget car hit another, flipped over a concrete wall and struck a billboard at Thompson International Speedway on Sunday.
Shane Hammond of Halifax, Massachusetts was 27. He died at Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam, state police said.
The accident happened during the Ice Breaker, part of the Northeast Midget Association, a lower-level regional series.
“He was relatively new, but had received accolades galore from veterans in the midget organization,” said Russ Dowd, director of operations at the raceway.
About 8,500 spectators were in the stands, an above average attendance because it was the track’s opening day, Dowd said.
Hammond crashed on the third of 25 laps, Dowd said. His car hit one driven by Chris Leonard, he said.
State police are investigating with help from NASCAR. NASCAR sanctions a race at the track, although not this one.
It was the second fatal accident at the speedway in less than eight months. Last August, John Blewett III died at the track after his car and one driven by his brother hit a wall near the end of the Whelen Modified Tour.