Employee Dies During Drag Race At Bradenton Motorsports Park

BRADENTON, FL — A longtime employee at Bradenton Motorsports Park was killed during a Friday night drag racing event.

Daniel “Chaps” Stone was struck and killed by a Pro Mod car, according to a GoFundMe fundraiser organized by his daughter, Karen Bugdin of North Carolina, to help pay for his funeral expenses. The funds will also be used to “help our mother to deal with the loss of her life partner,” she wrote.

The accident took place during the U.S. Street Nationals at Bradenton Motorsports Park, Drag Illustrated reported. The throttle on a Pro 275 Corvette driven by Paul Major got stuck. The malfunction caused him to hit Stone, who was working at the top end of the track.

Bradenton Motorsports Park, which is hosting a public memorial for Stone Wednesday at 9 a.m., called his death “a huge loss to the BMP family” on its Facebook page.

After Stone’s death, the races continued through the weekend.

“Today when you pull into BMP, be kind and be patient. It will not be easy but together we will get through this and we will make our boy proud and finish this amazing race. Racers, let’s give my main man a great show today!” BMP posted to its Facebook page Saturday morning.

Hundreds of drivers, friends and racing fans honored Stone on social media after the accident.

Rusty Zitzelberg, who said he frequents BMP, said Stone “was always a kind, patient and helpful person to everyone, from veteran races to first times, and always had a smile and a kind word.”

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“Praying for the families. Pulling in won’t be the same again,” James Veterro posted. “He always had a big smile and something funny to chat about. Always there to lend a hand, but he went out doing what he loved with the people who loved him. RIP brother!”

His sister-in-law, Pamela Gill, posted about how Stone earned his nickname “Chaps.”

“He told me…that they call him (‘Chaps’) cause the day of his interview (with BMP) he had his motorcycle chaps on and the name stuck,” she wrote, adding that “he was very happy and proud of what he did.”

On the GoFundMe page, his daughter wrote, “My father loved the lord and loved the track. His memory will always live on through the races at BMP.”