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It is now being reported by Channel 4 in Reno, with drivers names, that the 2 who perished in the crash were dwarf car drivers. It is bad enough that the accident occured but to have an over zealous press put out press releases with the incorrect information is just poor rush to judgement information. My condolences to the families involved.

Jim, Thanks for obtaining the correct information; one sprint car driver dying this weekend is way more than enough. My sincere condolences to the Burton family & friends and also to all the families and friends of the drivers who perished in Reno-Fernley. RIP

I found this. Sorry to hear about any loss of life at any track.

FERNLEY — Two race drivers were killed in a multi-car crash at the Reno Fernley Raceway near Fernley, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office reported Sunday.

Leroy Kay, 67, of Yerington, and David Richardson, 63, of Truckee, Calif., were killed during a race Saturday night on a dirt track at the raceway about 30 miles east of Reno, Lyon County deputy sheriffs said.

At least one other driver was treated at the scene for minor injuries, deputies said, and spectators were told to leave after the crash.

Kay’s longtime girlfriend, Donna MacGill, said the crash occurred during the main event for “dwarf” cars, which are small cars with motorcycle engines that can reach speeds over 100 mph.

MacGill, an eyewitness, said one car went out of control and smashed into the wall on the final lap at the finish line, causing a chain-reaction accident involving at least two other cars.

“One guy went into the wall and he spun around and I think he hit this other person, who in turn hit Leroy and those two people died,” she said. “It created a domino effect when the one car went into the wall, and it all happened so fast.”

Track owner Dan Simpson hung up Sunday morning on a reporter seeking details about the accident.
Witnesses recall crash

RGJ reader Bob Maples said he and his 10-year-old child witnessed the accident, which he said occurred on the last lap of the Dwarf car division competition, the night’s main event.

“What happened was three cars were at the front...and when they exited turn four” one of the cars “went too wide in an attempt to pass and lost control,” Maples wrote in an email to the RGJ.

“His car hit the wall on the straightaway and slid a ways,” Maples said. “That collision didn’t appear to be that bad. ... Some tires were flying, but there didn’t seem to be any direct hits. Then one of the cars slid directly down the track perpendicular to the wall in front of a full-speed No. 8 car.

“That was the collision that hushed the crowd. The No. 8 abruptly popped up from the rear and came to a stop relatively quickly. So it wasn’t a glancing blow that would have dissipated a lot of the energy,” Maples wrote.

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