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Kenny Irwin Jr. (Sporting News via Getty Image), Greg Biffle (Jeff Curry/SRX/Getty Images), Kyle Busch (Jerry Markland/Getty Images), Davey Allison (ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images, Dale Earnhardt (ISC Archives via Getty Images), and David Madison via Getty Images.
NASCAR is one of the most thrilling sports in the world — and one of the most dangerous.
Over the past 78 years, NASCAR has grown to become one of the largest and most popular spectator sports in America. The need for speed and the thrill of the race have brought great victories and heartache.
Overall, there have been 109 driver deaths at NASCAR events since its inception. 29 of those were fatalities suffered during NASCAR Cup Series races, testing, qualifying, or practice sessions.
Daytona International Speedway has seen the most fatalities, with 14 racers losing their lives, earning the speedway the title of “the most dangerous race track in NASCAR,” according to The Bleacher Report.
But not all tragedies affecting NASCAR have happened on the track. Over the sport’s eight-decade history, NASCAR has seen its share of heartache both on and off the track. Racing has suffered devastating losses that have left lasting marks on drivers, families, and fans.
Here’s a look at some of the most heartbreaking moments in NASCAR history.
Randy Owen (1975)
During the 1975 Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, Richard Petty’s car came to the pits with a burning front wheel bearing. His brother-in-law and pit crew member, Randy Owens, attempted to extinguish the fire with a pressurized water tank. The tank exploded, killing him instantly.
Davey Allison (1993)
Davey Allison was one of NASCAR’s brightest young talents. He narrowly missed the 1992 championship.
On July 12, 1993, Allison was attempting to land a helicopter near Talladega Superspeedway when it crashed and killed him. NASCAR Hall of Famer Red Farmer was also on board but survived. Country star Joe Diffie sang at Allison’s funeral, performing the driver’s favorite song, “Ships That Don’t Come In.” Davey Allison was 32 at the time of his death.
Allison was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2019.
Alan Kulwicki (1993)
On April 1, 1993, defending Winston Cup champion Alan Kulwicki wrapped up a sponsor appearance at a Knoxville Hooters and boarded the restaurant chain’s private plane bound for Bristol, Tennessee, for a scheduled race.
But as the plane approached the airport in nearby Blountville, it crashed, killing all four people on board — Kulwicki, pilot Charlie Campbell, and Hooters executives Mark Brooks and Dan Duncan. The likely cause was ice in the engine.
Kulwicki had won the 1992 Winston Cup championship just months earlier. He was 38 years old.
Adam Petty (2000)
Adam Petty was only 19 years old when he lost his life during a practice session at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The great-grandson of Lee Petty, grandson of Richard “The King” Petty, son of Kyle Petty, Adam was the next generation of a racing legacy.
On May 12, 2000, his throttle stuck open as he was practicing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His car hit the outside wall in turn three. He suffered a basilar skull fracture and died instantly.
Kenny Irwin Jr. (2000)
Just two months after Adam Petty’s tragic death, 1998 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year Kenny Irwin Jr. suffered an eerily similar incident. The 30-year-old was running a practice session at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 7, 2000. His car hit the Turn 3 wall head-on, flipped onto its roof, and sustained serious damage. The accident claimed Irwin’s life.
The cause of the accident was found to be a stuck accelerator.
Tony Roper (2000)
Tony Roper was 35 years old when he died on October 14, 2000, hours after a fiery crash during the O’Reilly 400 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Roper was unconscious and unresponsive when emergency crews pulled him from his truck. He was taken to Parkland Hospital, where it was determined that he had suffered a severe neck injury. He never recovered.
Dale Earnhardt (2001)
Dale Earnhardt died on February 18, 2001, during the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. He was blocking for his son, Dale Jr., and teammate Michael Waltrip when he made contact with Sterling Marlin, lost control, and hit the outside wall head-on. He died instantly of a basilar skull fracture. He was 49.
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Earnhardt was one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history with seven Winston Cup championships and seventy-six Cup Series wins. He is the only driver to win in four consecutive decades.
Hendrick Motorsports Plane Crash (2004)
On October 24, 2004, a plane owned by Hendrick Motorsports crashed in the Bull Mountain area near Martinsville, Virginia, killing all ten people on board. The Beech 200 had taken off from Concord, North Carolina, bound for that day’s Nextel Cup race at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia.
Ricky Hendrick, son of team owner Rick Hendrick; John Hendrick, Rick’s brother and president of the organization; John’s twin daughters Kimberly and Jennifer; chief engine builder Randy Dorton; and five others, including both pilots, died in the crash.
Kevin Ward Jr. (2014)
Kevin Ward Jr. died on August 9, 2014, during a sprint car race at Canandaigua Motorsports Park in New York.
Ward had been spun out by a car driven by NASCAR star Tony Stewart. The 20-year-old climbed out of his car and walked onto the track toward Stewart’s car. Stewart’s car struck him. Ward was transported to a local hospital, where he later died.
The death was ruled an accident, though Ward’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Tony Stewart. The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.
Ted Christopher (2017)
Ted Christopher was one of NASCAR’s Modified Tour greats with 42 wins and the 2008 championship to his name. But on September 16, 2017, the racing world lost him in a tragic plane crash.
Christopher was on his way to a race at Riverhead Raceway when the small plane he was traveling in suffered fuel starvation and crashed in New York, killing him and the pilot.
Mike Stefanik (2019)
Mike Stefanik wasn’t just a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion — he was one of the greatest to ever do it, with seven titles to his credit.
On September 15, 2019, Stefanik was flying solo from Rhode Island when his plane suffered mechanical problems and crashed in Connecticut. Following his death, the racing world honored him with a NASCAR Hall of Fame induction in 2022 and a spot on NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers list in 2023.
Jimmie Johnson’s In-Laws and Nephew (2023)
Jack and Terry Janway, the parents of race car driver Jimmie Johnson’s wife, Chandra Janway Johnson, were killed Monday at a home in Muskogee, Oklahoma, along with their 11-year-old grandson, Dalton Janway.
An investigation revealed that the incident was a murder-suicide. Following the deaths, the seven-time champion’s team withdrew from the NASCAR Cup Series event in Chicago.
Denny Hamlin’s father (2025)
On December 28, 2025, Dennis Hamlin, father of NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin, died in an accidental house fire at the family’s home in Stanley, North Carolina. He was 75. Denny Hamlin’s mother, Mary Lou, was also in the home but survived.
Denny Hamlin is one of NASCAR’s most accomplished active drivers — 60 Cup Series wins, three Daytona 500 titles, and a spot in a tie for 10th on the all-time wins list.
Michael Annett (2025)
Iowa native Michael Annett had a 13-year NASCAR career across all three national series, making 436 combined starts. In 2019, he won the season-opening Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway, driving for JR Motorsports. He retired in 2021 after a stress fracture in his leg cut his final season short.
On December 2, 2025, Annett died at the age of 39. No cause of death was publicly announced.
Greg Biffle (2025)
On December 18, 2025, former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, their two children, and three others were killed when their Cessna 550 business jet crashed and caught fire near Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina. The plane reportedly had turned back due to instrument malfunctions and worsening weather.
Biffle had won 19 Cup Series races during his career and was a fan favorite. He was 55 at the time of his death.
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Less than a month after the crash, acquaintances allegedly burglarized Biffle’s home, stealing cash, firearms, and financial information. In the months since, wrongful death lawsuits were filed over alleged negligence in aircraft maintenance and pilot actions.
Kyle Busch (2026)
On May 20, Kyle Busch was found unresponsive in a racing simulator. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died the following afternoon. His official cause of death was pneumonia that had progressed into sepsis and hemorrhagic shock. He was 41 years old.
RELATED: KYLE BUSCH’S CAUSE OF DEATH REVEALED
Busch was a two-time Cup Series champion and one of the most talented drivers of his generation. He won his final NASCAR Truck Series race at Dover Motor Speedway six days before his death.
