MONROE – A veteran race car driver from Edmonds died at Evergreen Speedway on Friday when the car he was driving slammed into a wall.
Rory Price, 40, was driving a friend’s sprint car during a practice session about 8 p.m. when the gas pedal got stuck on the floor, said T.J. Gibson, a former crew chief and friend of Price’s.
The sprint car was likely going about 130 mph when it careened into the wall on the first turn, longtime speedway announcer Scott Ellsworth said. A couple of hundred people were watching from the stands at the time of the accident.
“We’ve had cars hit the wall in that area a number of times, but he hit it just right,” said Ellsworth, who witnessed the crash. “Basically, there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Race officials waved the red flag immediately, and the five or six other cars on the track stopped. Medics tried to revive Price as they transported him to a hospital. It’s unclear when he died.
No one else was injured.
It was the first time in at least 15 years a driver has died in a crash at the speedway, Ellsworth said.
Price retired from racing two years ago and recently got married. He had a baby girl who turned 1 on Saturday.
“All of our thoughts and prayers are with the family, crew and friends,” a statement on the speedway’s Web site said.
Saturday’s season-opening races at the speedway were postponed because of rainy weather, not the accident, Ellsworth said.
Price was a regular on local tracks for more than 15 years during his racing prime. He was at the speedway in Monroe two weeks ago practicing in the same wingless sprint car he was driving on Friday, Ellsworth said.
He drove the same car during two 20-minute practice sessions earlier Friday.
Ellsworth said he knew the crash was bad, but he didn’t expect Price to die.
“He was a businessman, and he brought that kind of atmosphere to the racetrack,” Ellsworth said. “The racing community will miss him.”
Sports columnist John Sleeper contributed to this story.
Reporter Scott Pesznecker: 425-339-3436 or spesznecker@heraldnet.com.
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