SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A California raceway crash killed a 68-year-old race car owner and the 14-year-old cousin of the teenage driver whose vehicle careened off the track and into the pit area, authorities said Sunday.
The Yuba County Sheriff's Department said Dale Wondergem Jr. of Grass Valley and Marcus Johnson of Santa Rosa died after they were struck at the Marysville Raceway Park about 6 p.m. Saturday.
Marcus Johnson is the cousin of the 17-year-old driver Chase Johnson, who was not injured in the collision. Wondergem owned a race car at the track, but not the one involved in the crash, according to Undersheriff Jerry Read.
The raceway in Marysville, about 40 miles north of Sacramento, was hosting the California Sprint Car Civil War Series on the opening day of its season.
The crash occurred when six or seven "winged sprint cars" were doing warm-up laps before the start of a scheduled race. Chase Johnson's car left the track at an undetermined speed and collided with Wondergem and Pengrove before it tipped on its side, sheriff's officials said.
Wondergem was pronounced dead at the scene. Marcus Johnson was taken to Rideout Hospital in Marysville where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. No one else was injured in the crash, and spectators were never in jeopardy, authorities said.
The Yuba County Sheriff's Department and California Highway Patrol are investigating the cause of the crash. Investigators will conduct autopsies on the victims on Monday and Tuesday to determine how they died.
Marcus Johnson was not an official member of his cousin's crew. Authorities are investigating why he was in the pit area, Read said.
Chase Johnson of Penngrove is a senior at Petaluma High School north of San Francisco and is a fourth-generation race car driver, according to his website.
Johnson has been racing for three years at the Petaluma Speedway, where he's won multiple races and was last year's series champion, said Ron Lingron, the track announcer at Petaluma Speedway. His father, grandfather and great-grandfather were also champion drivers in Petaluma, where the family owns a muffler shop.
"They're the first family of the Petaluma Speedway," Lingron said Sunday. "There's not a better kid you're going to find in the racing community than Chase Johnson. To have something like this put around his neck is a tragedy."
Tuesday, May 21 2013 10:31 AM EDT2013-05-21 14:31:38 GMT
Portions of Moore, Oklahoma were ravaged by a mile-wide tornado this Monday afternoon. This follows a near-record quiet start to tornado season. Strong storms may reach northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan by Tuesday.
Recovery efforts continue in Moore, Oklahoma after a catastrophic tornado on Monday. The tornado season that began quietly in 2013 has roared to life this week. Severe weather is possible in Northwest Ohio on Tuesday and Wednesday. 13abc and 13abc.com will update throughout the day.
Rescue crews are working through the night after a monstrous tornado barreled through the Oklahoma City suburbs, demolishing an elementary school and reducing homes to piles of splintered wood.
Emergency crews combed the sticks and rubble remains of an Oklahoma City suburb Tuesday morning less than a day after a massive tornado slammed through the community, flattening homes and demolishing an elementary school. At...
Tuesday, May 21 2013 6:30 AM EDT2013-05-21 10:30:27 GMT
Coast guard crews are searching for a missing boater in Lake Erie. Authorities aren't releasing a name, but they say this person left Meinke Marina in Curtice, Ohio Monday afternoon. The person was due
Coast guard crews found a boater reported to be missing on Lake Erie Tuesday morning.
Tuesday, May 21 2013 6:15 AM EDT2013-05-21 10:15:41 GMT
Investigators with the arson unit have a person of interest custody possibly linked to a fire at 727 Euclid.The fire started before 4:30 this morning on Euclid near Starr.Investigators say it was a vacant
Investigators with the arson unit have a person of interest custody possibly linked to a fire at 727 Euclid.
Tuesday, May 21 2013 5:32 AM EDT2013-05-21 09:32:35 GMT
Toledo firefighters are on the scene of a house fire on the city's East side. Firefighters were called to a home on Thurston Street between Woodville Road and Starr Avenue just after four this morning. There
Toledo firefighters battled flames at two homes on Toledo's East side Tuesday morning.
Monday, May 20 2013 11:18 PM EDT2013-05-21 03:18:47 GMT
For some people in Northwest Ohio, the image of a massive tornado is something they only see on TV. But Allan Detrich puts himself directly in their path."Seeing the storms out in the plains, they're
A local man remembers being in Oklahoma City in 1999, when a massive tornado ravaged the city. Allan Detrich of Fremont says the area was devastated and Monday's tornado reminds him of what happened some 14 years ago.
Monday, May 20 2013 8:14 PM EDT2013-05-21 00:14:35 GMT
Severe weather is sweeping areas of the plains states. At least one person is dead and more storms are on the way today. ISOH/IMPACT is preparing to help those affected by the spring storms in Texas
A large tornado roared through the southern part of Oklahoma City and Moore, Oklahoma Monday afternoon. Damage is extensive. Video showed blocks of flattened homes and vehicles tossed upside down.
Monday, May 20 2013 11:11 PM EDT2013-05-21 03:11:56 GMT
A monstrous tornado at least a half-mile wide roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods with winds up to 200 mph. At least 51 people were reported killed.
A monstrous tornado at least a half-mile wide roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods with winds up to 200 mph. At least 51 people were reported killed.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and WTVG. All Rights Reserved.
