Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, October 30, 1995 TAG: 9510300112
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BRUCE STANTON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Minter, 39, was pronounced dead at Randolph Memorial Hospital in Asheboro, N.C., of head injuries suffered at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro.
Minter was at Caraway competing in the season-ending race of the Southern Modified Auto Racing Teams (SMART) series. While police reports of the wreck will not be released until today, drivers at the track said it appeared the accelerator on Minter's car stuck, sending him speeding into the wall between turns 3 and 4.
A news release from the speedway said the cars of Minter and Brian King touched entering turn 3, and Minter's car struck the outside retaining wall. A speedway representative refused to comment further.
``I really didn't see it,'' said Alfred Hill, a veteran SMART series driver from Jonesville, N.C. ``I saw [Minter's car] coming off the wall [after impact]. It looked as if his accelerator hung, but I don't know. Sometimes when your accelerator hangs, you go straight into the wall ... It was a brutal lick. The main impact was head-on.''
Hill said the crash reminded him of a 1985 incident at Martinsville Speedway that killed Modified driver Richie Evans, whose accelerator stuck, sending him into a wall during a practice session.
Driver Gary Myers of Walnut Cove, N.C., said drivers typically reach speeds of 120 mph on the straightaways at Caraway Speedway, a half-mile, high-banked paved oval.
The race was stopped after Minter's crash, and rescue personnel reached his car within seconds, Myers said.
``Kenny was one of the better drivers we've got,'' Myers said of the 17-year racing veteran, who was SMART rookie of the year in 1992. ``He raced everybody clean. He was some kind of nice guy. It's just a total loss. I'm sick over it.''
Minter's death comes less than a month after his father, Bernard Minter of Martinsville, died of a heart attack Oct.7. Bernard was Kenny's crew chief, and the two experienced their first SMART series victory together Sept.17 at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway.
Minter, who was fifth in the SMART points standings, had talked this month about one day stepping up to compete in the NASCAR SuperTruck Series. The 17-year auto racing veteran was the SMART rookie of the year in 1992.
Minter is survived by his wife, Patricia; a son, Kenny Jr.; his mother; and three brothers. Funeral arrangements are being handled by McKee Funeral Service in Martinsville.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING FATALITY
by CNB