Veteran race car driver Robbie Brewer, 53, died following a crash during a race Aug. 9 at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina – his daughter confirmed in a social media post.
Courtney Marquette wrote that her father was a mentor and best friend to her in a tribute posted to Facebook on the morning of Aug. 10.
“There wasn’t much my dad couldn’t fix/do when it came to his cars & racing was his absolute life which was no secret to anyone,” Marquette wrote. “He left this world doing what he loved but it was just way way too soon.”
“Unfortunately, I had a very direct line of sight into Brewer’s vehicle,” Tom Radulovic, who was in the stadium as a fan when the crash occurred, told the Winston-Salem Journal. “When they put him on the stretcher, I was able to see his hands, looking for that little wave athletes often give. There was no movement. My heart sank.”
Bowman Gray Stadium said in a statement provided to the Journal and the Associated Press that Brewer was taken to an area hospital following “an on-track medical incident.”
“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,” the statement reads.
USA TODAY has reached out to the track for the statement and did not receive an immediate response.
The Journal reported that Brewer’s death was the first at the track since 2002.
Veteran race driver loved at track
Driver Brad Lewis, whose race shop is close to where Brewer lived, told the Journal that Brewer was “like a big brother” and added that he was “a wheelman through and through.”
“I’m bet everybody in that pit area has a Robbie story and that’s a testament to what he meant to that place and to all of us who compete over there,” Lewis said.
Randy Smith, who has worked at the stadium for 16 years and was the track’s chief flagman Saturday night, told the newspaper that, “I don’t think there is one person that can say anything bad about Robbie.”
Brewer was an 11-time winner in the Sportsman division at Bowman Gray and made 311 career starts at the historic stadium across all divisions, according to FloRacing. The racing outlet noted that Brewer was twice a 602 Modified Tour champion and a 602 Super Limited (Late Model) Series champion.
Marquette said in her tribute that her father had “a smile that was contagious” and an offbeat sense of humor.
“I’ll always try to remember the goofy jokes we had,” she wrote.