Chad

Over the past three seasons, Knoxville has become my home track. I've had some great nights there, watching some fantastic racing at one of racing's most storied facilities. When you are fortunate to see as much racing as I am, sometimes it's easy to forget the risks involved with racing cars.

This past Friday we were all reminded of those risks. Kansas racer Chad McDaniel lost his life from injuries sustained during a late-feature crash.

I didn't know Chad personally, but I have watched him run many times. Chad was from Concordia, Kansas and ran most of the midget shows in this area. In fact, that's one thing I admired about him was his choice to run midgets.

There is not a lot of midget racing in the Concordia area, and choosing to field a midget team means a lot of travel. McDaniel could have driven a sprinter or modified and raced at a plethora of tracks closer to home. Instead he drove midgets.

In a sport full of good people it sounds like Chad was one of the best.

To make a donation for Chad's family, please visit the USAC website.