A motorcycle crash on Friday night claimed the life of former NASCAR driverand owner of Tilley Harley Davidson, Don Tilley, 78, and left his wife, Robinette, in critical condition. News of the accident left people across Iredell County (NC) and the nation and throughout the motorcycle and NASCAR communities shaken. ‘God speed, @don_tilley. Don taught me how to ride long distance, love Harleys & most importantly how to be a friend,’ Kyle Petty wrote Saturday on Twitter. The motorcycle driven by the Tilleys, who own Tilley-Harley Davidson in Statesville, crashed near Mile Post 394 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Buncombe County, according to the U.S. Park Rangers office. Robinette Tilley was taken to Memorial Mission Hospital in Asheville, NC and was listed in critical condition on Friday evening with a spinal injury.(Statesville News & Landmark)(8-30-2014)
AND In the 1950s and 1960s, Don won many stock car races in Hickory and used local success to run several races on NASCAR’s Grand National Circuit, including two at Daytona. He also worked for Richard Petty before focusing on building motorcycles and opening Tilley Harley-Davidson in Statesville.(Statesville News & Landmark)
