Race car driver Justin Owen dies at 26 after crashing near his hometown

Race car driver Justin Owen was killed Saturday night in an accident during his qualifying run at Lawrenceburg Speedway in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.

Owen was 26 years old.

Fox News mentioned That Owen was trying to qualify for the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship when his car hit the wall at the dirt track’s turn three, sending the car airborne. The car flipped several times, according to reports.

The race was canceled shortly after the accident, and USA Today reported that the news of Owen’s death was confirmed shortly after midnight. according to Associated PressOwen won the title at the Lawrenceburg track in 2022 and had two previous wins there, including the Dick Gaines Memorial.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup driver was the defending southeastern Indiana track champion and grew up just 20 minutes north of Lawrenceburg in Harrison, Ohio, according to USA Today.

Condolences poured in from family, friends and around the racing community over the weekend. Owen’s fiancee, Kenzie Knapp, changed her Facebook profile picture to a picture of her and Owen kissing, writing, “I love you more than you’ll ever know.”

“It is never easy to be reminded of how fast things happen in this sport or that we are not promised tomorrow,” Tony Stewart Racing Team chirp. Keeping the family, friends and fans of Justin Owen in our prayers. We are so sorry for your loss.

NASCAR driver JJ Yeley named Owen’s death is “sad news” and “thoughts and prayers to the Owen family” are sent.

Announcer Chad Cunningham at Lawrenceburg Speedway, books on social media that “the nights don’t get any harsher” from Saturday night.

“Prayers for peace and comfort for all,” Cunningham added. “I will always love [Owen] And never forget.”

The old friends also shared their grief on social media over the weekend.

“Justin has been a friend of mine since grade school,” Conor McCorley, Harrison High School basketball teacher and coach, said. chirp. “That jovial, charismatic spirit that everyone around him loved. He went really close—flew high and raced fast out there.”

The Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series, which Owen has raced for his entire career, said in a memorial post in Facebook that “Words cannot express what we are feeling right now.”

“If you’re lucky enough to know him, you know what the world has lost,” said the Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series. “If you didn’t know him, you were missing out on a man who lived life to the fullest. Justin was always upbeat and positive and could light up a room or a pit area with his smile and demeanor. Most of all, he was a hardcore race car driver.”