Sprint-car racer Jason Johnson, 41, of Eunice, La., has died after a crash Saturday night in the World of Outlaws feature at Beaver Dam (Wis.) Raceway.
The series announced his death Sunday morning.
Johnson crashed on the 18th lap, after a restart, while racing for the lead with eventual winner Daryn Pitman. Johnson's car flipped and went through billboards outside Turn 3, according to witnesses at the track and watching the live webcast.
After 10 to 15 minutes, Johnson was transported from the track and fans were told he was being taken to a local hospital, witnesses said. He was airlifted to Aurora Summit Hospital, about 40 miles away in the village of Summit.
Johnson is the second driver in four years to die from injuries suffered in a sprint-car crash at the third-mile clay track. Scott Semmelmann, 47, of Brookfield was killed in an accident in practice at an Interstate Racing Association in September 2014.
Johnson burst onto the national scene in 2016 by winning the Knoxville (Iowa) Nationals, the biggest race of the year for winged sprint cars. He was Outlaws rookie of the year in 2015.
Before joining the tour full time, Johnson raced with the Outlaws occasionally, making his first start in 1998 and collecting his first victory in 2003, according to his biography on the series' website. His 12 victories include two this season.
He is survived by his wife, Bobbi, and a son, Jaxx.
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