Sad News – three drivers die over weekend: Drag racer Jerry Gannon died Sunday, a day after crashing at Atlanta Dragway. He was 50. Gannon, of Franklin Furnace, Ohio, was driving a jet-powered Funny Car on Saturday when his car hit a wall, then spun around and hit another wall before flipping and bursting into flames. Track officials told Atlanta TV station WAGA that their fire truck hose snapped off and got caught on an ambulance tire as they responded. But they also said the flames were so intense, little could be done to put them out.(ESPN) AND Dave Robertson, Super Dirt Stock driver from Florence Speedway (Union,Ky), died last Saturday night of a heart attack while driving. AND Charles “Bubba” Beck, who had been racing stock cars since 1956, died Saturday night in a Modified race at Bowman Gray Stadium. The car driven by Beck, 66, of Lexington, veered off the track coming down the backstretch during the final lap of a 25-lap race, sped through the infield grass and crashed into the north turn guardrail. An emergency worker said that Beck showed no signs of life upon being reached. He was taken to Baptist Hospital and pronounced dead at 10:39 p.m. According to a hospital official, a pathologist will do an examination today and make a determination on whether to perform an autopsy. It is uncertain whether Beck died as result of a heart attack or other condition, or if the impact of the crash was a factor.(Winston Salem Journal), thoughts and condolences go out to all family and friends of the drivers.(6-3-2002)
