As members of the media, as well as competitors and fans of this great sport ourselves, the last thing that we ever wish to or enjoy reporting is incidents causing bodily injury or the falling of one of our own. Sadly, we’ve had to do just that far too many times in the last couple of seasons. The sport that we love is a dangerous one, and despite the ever-increasing safety precautions and innovations that have been and will continue to be enacted to save lives, the high-speed nature of what we do can’t always be planned for or controlled.

On Saturday evening, Tim Hay, 49, of Burleson, Texas, succumbed to injuries sustained in a high-speed accident behind the wheel of his ‘High Voltage Hayride’ AA/FA during the annual World Fuel Altered Nationals at Eddyville Raceway Park in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

Images credit: OFAA.net

Hay was the defending champion of the event. This was the first fatal incident at the Eddyville facility in 50 years of operation, and left officials, spectators, and fellow competitors shocked and saddened. No details on the crash have been given, however, in images snapped by a local photographer and posted on the KCCI 8 News channel website, the driver cockpit can clearly be seen separated from the rest of the twisted chassis.

Hay began his racing career in 1977 at Texas Raceway behind the wheel of a ’68 Dodge Charger RT. After a 15 year absence from the sport to pursue other motorsports interests, he returned with a ’70 Duster before purchasing a rear engine dragster in 1999. Fueling his desire for heads up racing, Hay made the move to the wildly entertaining Fuel Altered category in the early 2000’s with the Outlaw Fuel Altered Association. Hay is survived by wife Candy of 23 years, sons Shawn and T.J., daughter Kristen, and two granddaughters.