New Smyrna Speedway management released the following statement Sunday in regards to the death of track official Rusty Crews early Sunday.
Last night we lost our long time friend, Rusty Crews. While numerous sources have addressed the events and details concerning the event last night, we are still awaiting the final results of the investigation by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
What we can say with certainty is that the sudden loss of Rusty Crews has been devastating to drivers, their crews, and fans of New Smyrna Speedway and others throughout the racing community.
Speedway owner Robert Hart reflected on the loss, “Rusty was a true friend, always looked out for others at the racetrack, and loved racing. I can’t describe how terrible this loss is.” Matching this sentiment, owner Jane Hart stated, “I can’t think of a time at New Smyrna Speedway without Crews.”
Manager Rusty Marcus stated “This is an incredibly difficult time and during our employee meeting numerous friends of Crews stated that his desire would be to continue with the program and keep racing. While this is a tough time, we are going to move forward and honor his memory as a racing family.”
New Smyrna Speedway will continue to work with Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. We will continue to make updates and statements as information becomes available. For now we offer our condolences and prayers to his companion Deniele, his son Clay, his daughter Cyndi, and the rest of the Crews family.
Really, the dead guy would have wanted the race program to continue. Self serving, trite to the point of being almost insulting but true.
Here’s the deal. People that race have been finding ways to get into fights since racing was invented. This is mostly different because someone died. Now the lives of the loved ones of this person are changed forever. The lives of the instigators are changed forever as well. They surely didn’t think their disagreement no matter how petty or ill advised would result in someone dying.
Everyone loses but the idea that the races would be canceled is ridiculous and including the dead person in the logic for the decision is pathetic.
This is the result of a country at wits end. Everyone’s fuses are short. Road rage and suicides are at an all time peak. Covid will continue to ruin lives for years to come. RIP Rusty
Really? You blame this incident on COVID? I suppose you blame you’re everyday problems on COVID as well. Give me a break!
Regardless of whether the Volusia County law enforcement supplies sufficient evidence to State’s Attorney Larizza’s prosecutorial team to charge any of the scofflaws, there certainly appears to be enough grounds for a sizable civil lawsuit against those involved.