By JIM UTTER
ThatsRacin.com Writer


AP Photo/Chuck Burton

Workers remove the car of ARCA RE/MAX Series driver Eric Martin from
the track at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Wednesday Oct.
9, 2002. Martin was killed Wednesday in a wreck during practice for
the EasyCare 150.


CONCORD, N.C. - Eric Martin, a rookie in the Automobile Racing Club
of America series, was killed Wednesday in a violent practice-
session wreck at Lowe's Motor Speedway - the second series death at
the track in just more than a year.
Martin, 33, of Hixson, Tenn., spun in his No. 2 Chevrolet while
exiting Turn 4 and backed into the outside retaining wall. After a
delay of several seconds, a car driven by Deborah Renshaw swept
through Turns 3 and 4 and struck Martin's car on the driver's-side
door.

Martin suffered massive internal injuries and was killed, speedway
spokesman Jerry Gappens said.

Martin's body was taken to Northeast Medical Center for evaluation
by the coroner and was to be transferred to the State Medical
Examiner's Office in Charlotte, where a complete autopsy would be
performed. Martin's car was impounded by ARCA.

Martin's is the 15th death at Lowe's Motor Speedway - the eighth
driver death - since the speedway opened in 1960.

At least 295 people have died in auto racing in the United States
since 1990, an investigation by The Charlotte Observer has found,
including at least 25 deaths this year.

Renshaw, 25, of Bowling Green, Ky., was taken to University Hospital
in Charlotte. She was listed in fair condition late Wednesday. She
was scheduled for orthopedic surgery Thursday.

Both Martin and Renshaw were wearing the HANS (Head and Neck
Support) device, used to restrain head and neck movement in
accidents.

ARCA implemented a rule requiring the use of a head-and-neck device
by all its drivers in response to the death of Blaise Alexander, who
suffered a basilar skull fracture after hitting the outside
frontstretch wall in a late-race accident on Oct. 4, 2001, at the
Charlotte track.

"He either got in some oil or blew a right-front tire, one or the
other. I did not see the accident happen," said Martin's team owner,
Wayne Hixson. "He hit the wall and came over the radio and
said, 'I'm all right.'

"He was sitting there and about four or five seconds later,
(Renshaw) just broadsided him. ...It's just a wreck. It's just
something that happened."

NASCAR veteran Ron Hornaday saw Martin's car spin in front of him.

"My car turned to the right and I went between him and wall," he
said. "By the time I got into (Turns) 1 and 2, Doug (Richert, crew
chief) said, 'You won't believe this. That kid just got hit. Just
got hit hard. Slow down, there's debris everywhere.' "

Speedway president H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler spoke to Martin's widow,
Tammy, about 4 p.m. after Martin, a lieutenant junior grade in the
Navy, was located on her ship, the Gettysburg, in port in
Jacksonville, Fla. A Navy chaplain told Martin of the accident. The
Martins also have two children.

Wheeler was unavailable for comment, working with Martin's family on
funeral arrangements.

The delay between Martin's spin and the impact of Renshaw's car
raised questions Wednesday over the role of the drivers' spotters.

"(Driver) Shelby Howard spun through (some oil) and just missed
hitting Eric. Deborah Renshaw was going into (Turns) 3 and 4. I
don't know what her spotter told her," said Bill Venturini, a car
owner and two-time series champion.

"I was standing on the trailer right next to her trailer and
spotting for my son, Billy. I didn't see (Martin's car). It was down
a little from the wall and right behind the medical center and from
where we were standing you couldn't see that one section of the race
track."

ARCA requires all cars on the track to have a spotter, stationed
either on a team's hauler or in a stand located on the roof above
the press box, with two-way communication between the driver and the
spotter.

Spokeswoman Danielle Frye said NASCAR does not require a team to
have a spotter in place during practice sessions, but that most
teams provide one.

ARCA veteran Bob Schacht served as Renshaw's spotter Wednesday. He
was unavailable for comment.

"(Schacht) would have been on top of his transporter in our garage
area," said ARCA President Ron Drager. "ARCA has taken steps to work
with each of the speedways to see that all of the spotters are
provided with credentials to provide them access to the roof
spotter's area or at their option to spot off the top of their
transporters."

ARCA canceled qualifying for Thursday's night's EasyCare 150 - the
series' season finale - and set the field by car owner points.
Reigning series champion Frank Kimmel will start from the pole.

"The regulars - the guys who raced with him every week - they didn't
want to be here tonight," Venturini said. "They just wanted to go
home.

"The reason people come to ARCA is because it's a family atmosphere.
Granted, it's stepping stone for Winston Cup. But the people who
stay in ARCA stay because it's a family run program. I've been here
20 years and that's why I'm here."

************************************

ERIC MARTIN career stats

Hometown: Hixson, Tennessee

DOB: 2-6-69

Race driver/mechanic

Wife Tammy, 2 children

Driving for step-father Wayne Hixson, has 40 career ARCA RE/MAX
Series starts since 2001. Career-best finish 14th on DuQuoin,
Illinois dirt-mile in 2002. Also finished 16th at Nashville
Superspeedway '01, 18th at Chicagoland Speedway '02, 21st at Kansas
Speedway '02, 23rd at Nashville '02, 23rd at Springfield dirt-
mile '02, 25th at Pocono '02 and 25th at Watkins Glen road
course '01. Career-best qualifying runs 20th at Nashville '02, 22nd
at Salem '02, 22nd at Watkins Glen '01, 23rd at Springfield '02 and
25th at Pocono '02. Finished career-best 16th in ARCA RE/MAX Series
driver points in 2001. Wife Tammy is an officer on the USS
Gettysburg in the US Navy.


God Speed Eric. You will be missed by all.