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Warmup laps for a sprint car race in Northern California turned deadly Saturday night when one of the racecars hit two people who were in the pit area. According to a report on
CBS Sacramento, the 14- and 68-year-old victims were both in the pit area of Marysville Raceway Park (about 40 miles north of Sacramento) when Chase Johnson, 17, lost control of his racecar - possibly due to a mechanical malfunction - and left the track at around 90 miles per hour. Some news reports have indicated that the teenage victim was the driver's cousin, and the 68-year-old victim owned some of the cars entered in the race.
Unlike most larger racetracks, the pit area at Marysville is located outside of the racing surface, so if Johnson was unable to turn, it could explain why his car went straight into the pits. A witness' statement in the some news reports indicate that the car may have had a stuck throttle, but there has been no definitive information released as of yet to say exactly what happened. The track's website states that it requires everyone in the pit area to be at least 14 years old.
This isn't Marysville Raceway Park's first fatal incident. In August of 2010, two competitors crashed during a semi truck race, killing one of the drivers.
Scroll down to watch a couple of local news reports about the tragedy.
Continue reading Two killed in crash at California sprint car race [w/videos]
Two killed in crash at California sprint car race [w/videos] originally appeared on
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Report: Two killed in crash at California sprint car race [w/videos]
