REBELRACER Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 from a link on jayski.com Crash At Thompson Kills Driver Blewett Brothers' Duel For Lead Turns Tragic In Whelen Modified Event By SHAWN COURCHESNE | Courant Staff Writer August 17, 2007 Article Tools E-mail Share this Digg Del.icio.us Facebook Furl Google Reddit Spurl Yahoo Print Single page view Reprints Reader feedback text size: THOMPSON - A NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver was killed as a result of a crash during the New England Dodge Dealers 150 Thursday night at Thompson International Speedway, state police confirmed early Friday. John Blewett III, 33, died after a collision involving a car driven by his brother, Jimmy Blewett, 26. After the accident, John Blewett was taken by ambulance to Hubbard Regional Hospital in Webster, Mass., where he was pronounced dead, said Sgt. Eric Murray of Troop D in Danielson. The accident took place at 9:48 p.m., as the Blewett brothers, both from Howell, N.J., were racing for the lead following a restart of the race on lap 107. Jimmy's car ended up on top of John's car just beyond the apex of turns 1 and 2 on the 0.625-mile oval, and the fourth-place car of Woody Pitkat also was involved in the collision. Jimmy Blewett exited his car immediately after the crash and began jumping and waving his hands frantically to get the attention of track safety workers. Safety crews rushed to the scene. At least four state police cruisers were on the scene less than 15 minutes later. By 10:05 p.m., state police officers were measuring areas around the crash scene as crews worked to remove John Blewett from his car. The crowd of about 8,000, most still in the frontstretch grandstands, was silent. All that could be heard around the track was the hum of power generators on the midway outside of the frontstretch. By that point, most of the drivers in the race, who had been stopped on the frontstrech after the wreck, had already gotten out of their cars and were congregating with crews in the infield area below turns 1 and 2. At 10:12 p.m., John Blewett was removed from the car and moved to an ambulance that had been parked nearby. An ashen-faced track official, walking back from the scene, said only, "It's bad." Murray, of the state police, said Blewett was unresponsive when he was extricated from the car but still showing signs of life. At 10:20 p.m., the ambulance carrying John Blewett slowly drove away from the crash scene to pit exit road off the backstretch of the track and exited the track. At 10:33 both cars were being removed from the track, the No. 12, driven by Jimmy, on a flatbed; and the No. 66, driven by John, by a tow truck. Later, a source who was at the scene said the rear bumper of Jimmy's car went through John's helmet. Shortly after the cars were cleared away, track announcer Russ Dowd announced the race was being stopped with 106 laps completed. The brothers began an aggressive battle for the lead on lap 89. Jimmy was leading on a lap 89 restart when John moved to second behind him. The two made contact for the first time on lap 90 in turn 4. On lap 93, John went by Jimmy for the lead in turn 2, only to give way to a move by Jimmy in turn 4. John went back by for the lead again before the caution flew on lap 94. After a restart on lap 98, Jimmy went back to the front before another caution on lap 100. On the ensuing restart on lap 107, Jimmy got sideways coming to the green and the two crisscrossed down the front, with John going to the low lane into turn 1. In the corner Jimmy got loose, coming down into his brother. During the contact between the two, Jimmy's car ended on top of John's. John Blewett III had competed on the Modified Tour since 1995. Thursday's event was his 164th career start. He had 10 career victories in the division. Jimmy has raced in the division since 2004 and was making his 36th career start. He has two wins in the division. It was at this same event on Aug. 19, 2004, that driver Tom Baldwin of Freeport, N.Y., was killed after his car slid into a light standard in the infield during a wreck. Baldwin was the last driver killed at the track and the last Modified driver killed in an event. Both of the Blewetts also competed in Thompson's weekly SK Modified division and were involved together in an accident on a restart early in the event. wow what a tragic and crazy deal. that has to be tough for jimmy blewett. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Barton Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 August 17, 2007 Right Now, I Hate Being An Auto Racing Reporter I love covering auto racing for the Hartford Courant. I’m not afraid to say that out loud. I love covering the sport of auto racing, especially at the short track level. I love being at the short tracks around the state. I also have a passion for covering the big story. I get energized from it, whether it’s auto racing or anything else. There’s truly a high that comes with chasing the story down. And then there’s nights like Thursday at Thompson International Speedway, nights when I hate covering auto racing, nights when I hate everything that surrounds getting the story. The reality is being around racetracks too much makes you numb to so much that happens at speed. Wrecks happen all the time and on almost every occasion the driver jumps out of the car, waves to the fans in the grandstands and walks off, ready to come back and race again the next week. Sadly, John Blewett III didn’t get the chance Thursday to jump out of that car and flash his steely blue eyes at the fans in the grandstands that came to watch the Whelen Modified Tour event at the track. I didn’t know John Blewett III as well as I know a lot of the racers on the local scene. Over the years I had numerous conversations with John though and he was always engaging and always exuded a passion for the sport that comes with growing up in a family where auto racing is seemingly a genetic driven birthright. I wish so much that all of us in the press boxing could have heard Blewett talking about racing his little brother for the win Thursday. I wish we didn’t have to ask the questions that we had to ask when the racing stopped Thursday at Thompson. See, you know every day and every night that you show up to the racetrack that every driver putting on that show is putting himself or herself at risk. But you put that fact deep in the back of your mind, you know it’s there, but if you think it about all the time you’d go crazy. And then you’re left confronting that grim fact you’ve hidden straight on. You’re left walking around a racetrack, looking at everything around you, looking at the faces around you knowing that every indication is that tragedy has taken place. Then you’re left asking the questions nobody wants to be asking. Calling the people nobody wants to be calling. It’s the job right? It comes with there territory right? Well, it stinks. I hated writing the story I had to write early this morning from the press box at Thompson. I did my job to the best of my skill, using the abilities I’ve learned over the years for covering the story the right way, and yet I hated what I had to do from the moment I realized something was wrong at Thompson until that final version of the story was done. It wasn’t the first time I had to do it, and though I hope it’s the last time, I know the reality is it probably won’t be. I hate being an auto racing reporter right now. Shawn Courchesne, 3:44 a.m. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAPosse Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 Wow....I never met him, but I saw him race a handful of times, he was amazing to watch.... below is from www.3widespicturevault.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebelracewriter Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 Sad indeed, stuff like this just makes me feel sick inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky161 Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 very tragic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landlord Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 Racing can be a very dangerous sport!!!Thats the only thing I hate about it!!!!oh and the part about being expensive sucks to!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gundogC3 Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 Sad...but I like to think he died with a smile on his face, racing his brother for the lead. I would think that we all should feel for his brother right now...could you imagine what he's going through right now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazyhorse Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 i race with my brother from time to time.....we get very competitive with each other,,,,,i couldn't imagine how his brother is handling the situation. pray for his brother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jracer98 Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 Racing can be a very dangerous sport!!!Thats the only thing I hate about it!!!!oh and the part about being expensive sucks to!!!!! That's right, Very few fatalities in golf. No matter if it's a quarter mile dirt track bomber or a Formula One car------> It's a RACE CAR...and it's a very good idea to be "right" with God and man before you strap in. God Speed, John Blewett III Jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiTech Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 sad deal ..i use to race my brother and never intered my mind aboult what could happen ..he was just another driver in the field .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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