Indy racer Clauson killed in accident

Three-time Indy 500 starter Bryan Clauson was killed following a crash in a Midget Nationals race at Belleville High Banks in Kansas last weekend. He was 27.

Clauson had been leading the race on the dirt track when he hit the guard rail between turns three and four before his car flipped into the path of another competitor and he was hit.

Clauson was airlifted to Bryan Medical Center in nearby Nebraska, but succumbed to his injuries just hours later.

Clauson’s death was confirmed at a press conference at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where track president Doug Boles said: “Bryan Clauson combined his passion and enthusiasm for grassroots racing with a Godgiven talent that made him the favourite to win every time he got in a midget or sprint car. And he proved on the world’s largest racing stage – by leading three laps in the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 – that he could use that talent in just about anything with wheels.”

Clauson contested the Indy 500 three times in 2012,’15 and ’16. His best, and only finish, was 23rd place this year for Jonathan Byrd’s Racing.

Clauson had been attempting to do 200 races this year between Indycar, Midgets, sprint cars and winged sprint cars.