NASCAR legend Stefanik dies in ultralight crash

Legendary NASCAR driver Mike Stefanik, 61, died Sunday when the ultralight aircraft he was piloting crashed in Sterling, Connecticut, RaceDayCT.com and NASCAR.com reported.

Called the winningest driver in the history of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Stefanik won the tour championship seven times in his 30-year career. In two of those years, he simultaneously won the Busch North, now called NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.

NASCAR’s chairman and CEO, Jim France, issued a statement Sunday that said: “Mike Stefanik was one of the most successful drivers in NASCAR history, but even more so, he was a true representative of our sport. His tough, competitive nature and excellence on the race track won him the respect and admiration of fans and competitors alike. His career stretched more than 30 years, bridging the generations between Jerry Cook and Richie Evans to our current drivers. He recorded achievements in this sport that are likely untouchable, and his legacy as a champion will endure. We will keep his wife Julie and his family and friends in our prayers.”

Stefanik took off Sunday from Riconn, a private airfield in the Coventry village of Greene, near the Connecticut line. His home is near the Flat River Reservoir.

According to RaceDayCT.com, Stefanik picked up flying after he quit racing in 2014. He owned an ultralight and flew it often, but multiple sources told RaceDayCT.com that the one he was flying Sunday was not his. — Donita Naylor, The Providence Journal (Providence, R.I.)