The racing world was dealt yet another tragedy this weekend.
The city of Petaluma, CA is no stranger to racing, but may be forced to undergo greater scrutiny after a recent crash that left two dead during and event on Sunday.
Seventeen-year-old race car driver Chase Johnson was involved in a racing accident that killed his 14-year-old cousin, Marcus Johnson and 68-year-old race car owner Dale Wondergem, Jr. Chase was not injured in the crash. Wondergem was not the owner of Johnson's car.
The exact cause of the accident hasn't been confirmed, but initial accounts suggest a mechanical malfunction. Marcus Johnson's father, Rob Johnson, told WPIX-TV that Marcus was helping in the pit area when "something strange happened and the steering wheel came off...this car flew probably 100 to 150 feet and hit him."
Authorities say Marcus Johnson was rushed to a hospital, but pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Wondergem was pronounced dead at the scene. No one else was injured in the crash.
Although only 17-years-old, Chase Johnson was considered an experienced driver with several race victories to his credit. A senior at Petaluma High School, Chase was a fourth-generation race car driver and had been racing at Petaluma Speedway since 2010. He continued a champion racing pedigree that included his father, grandfather and great-grandfather who were also champions at Petaluma.
Questions immediately began to arise concerning why was someone as young as 14-year-old allowed into the pit. The Spring car ciruit that Johnson was involved in allows racers to be as young as 15. Racing alumni from the Spring Cup series include NASCAR racer Kyle Larson and two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Larson began racing at 12 years old.
"People who can afford to go race somewhere are going to find somewhere to race," Stenhouse said. "And the crews, the people in the pits, that's almost always your friends and your family. I read somewhre somebody said those people shouldn't have been in the pits. Well, that is how it's done. This is the way of life."
That way of life is bound to be questioned after this latest tragedy following one at the Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 23 which injured at least 30 onlookers as victims were hit with debris following a car crashing into a barrier designed to protect the fans.