Dale Earnhardt Jr. joined his father in the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Friday. Red Farmer and the late Mike Stefanik were also inducted. Today we will discuss about Mike Stefanik: Plane crash| Obituary| Death| Cause of death
Mike Stefanik: Plane crash| Obituary| Death| Cause of death
Michael Stefanik (May 20, 1958 – September 15, 2019) was an American professional stock car racing driver. He participated primarily in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, but also participated in the Bush Grand National Series and the Craftsman Truck Series. A seven-time champion in the Modified Series, Stefanik was named the second greatest NASCAR Modified driver of all time in 2003.[2] His total of nine championships (two in the Busch North Series) made him the most Richie Evans man in NASCAR history. added with. [3] Stefanik is a member of the 2021 NASCAR Hall of Fame class.
Born | Michael Paul Stefanik May 20, 1958 Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S. |
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Died | September 15, 2019 (aged 61) Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. [1] |
Achievements | 1989, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2006 Whelen Modified Tour Champion 1997, 1998 Busch North Series Champion |
Awards | 1999 Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year 1997, 1998, 2001 Featherlite Modified Series Most Popular Driver 1995, 1997, 1998, 2004 Busch North Series Most Popular Driver Named one of the “NASCAR Modified All-Time Top 10 Drivers” (2003) NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee (2022) |
Plane crash
One of the most accomplished drivers in NASCAR history, Mike Stefanik, died in a plane crash on Sunday.
He was 61 years old.
“Mike Stefanic was one of the most successful drivers in NASCAR history, but more than that, he was a true representative of our sport,” NASCAR President and CEO Jim France said in a statement. “His tough, competitive nature and excellence on the race track earned him the respect and admiration of fans and competitors alike. His career spans more than 30 years, passing the generations between Jerry Cook and Richie Evans to our current drivers He recorded achievements in the sport that are perhaps untouchable, and his legacy as a champion will live on. We will keep his wife Julie and his family and friends in our prayers.”
Obituary
STEFANIK, Michael Paul, 61, passed away on Sunday, September 15, 2019, at a Rhode Island hospital. He is survived by his beloved wife of 34 years, Julie (Kosjela) Stefnik. On May 20, 1958, she was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, to Stanley and Patricia (Michelle) Stefnik.
Michael followed the racing career of his older brother, Bobby, until his chance to begin driving competitively in 1976, one of the most illustrious careers in the history of motorsports.
A young welder by trade, he quickly became a champion in the sportsmen’s division in 1979, the prelude to a career that saw him win a record number of championships. Stefani eventually advanced to the Revised Division, the division for which his career would be most remembered.
Michael and Julie were married in 1984. Julie played a major role in helping her husband reach many victory lanes as their spotter. He entered the Kozella family businesses, with the opportunity to drive a Kozella car. Julie continues the Kosjella business to this day.
Stefanik drove the Koszela car to his first NASCAR Modified Tour Championship in 1989 and won his second in 1991, before his career began branching out into the NASCAR Busch Series and Busch North Series.
Death
According to Connecticut State Police, on the afternoon of September 15, 2019, Stefanik took off in a friend’s Aero-Works Aerolite 103 from Rikon Airport (Green, Rhode Island), and when he encountered mechanical problems, he Went back, causing the power to go out. and an accident in a wooded area in Sterling, Connecticut. He was taken to a Rhode Island hospital, where he died of his injuries.
Cause of death
Custom stock car legend Michael Stefanik has died at the age of 61 in a single-engine plane crash at the Rhode Island-Connecticut border. While the exact cause is still under investigation, the accident occurred on Sunday afternoon in Stirling, near Rhode Island. According to the Connecticut State Police, the state line.
Police said the single-engine, single-seat Aerolite 103 had taken off from Ricon Airport in Coventry, Rhode Island and was returning to the runway when it crashed into a nearby wooded area.