Kevin Gobrecht Suffers Fatal Injuries at I-80 Speedway

Gobrecht Suffers Fatal Injuries at I-80 Speedway By Richard Day GREENWOOD, NE (September 24) - Kevin Gobrecht suffered fatal injuries in a freak crash late in the Preliminary Feature Friday when the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series opened the Channellock Fall Classic at NAPA I-80 Speedway. "Our deepest sympathies are with Kevin's family and friends," series Director of Administration Carlton Reimers said. "Such tragedies are hard to understand and never easy to deal with. Kevin was much more than an accomplished racer. He was an outstnding young man of good character, a man who made his family proud. He will be truly missed by us all." Gobrecht, a native of New Oxford, PA, started driving the #93 Amoco Maxim in April of this year. The 30-year-old driver competed in 44 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series events, recording 19 top-10 finishes, including three in the top five. Kevin was sprint car racing's hottest driver in early August, claiming the $100,000 first prize in Eldora Speedway's Historical Big One and finishing third in the Amoco Knoxville Nationals one week later. "The entire BP Amoco Petroleum Products family is deeply saddened by the loss of Kevin Gobrecht," Kathy Leech, BP Amoco Motorsports Manager, said. "In his short time as driver of the #93 Amoco sprint car, Kevin contributed significantly to the overall success of our involvement with the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series and our entire Amoco Racing program. "But most importantly, Kevin and his family had become friends and that is the void that will be most difficult to fill. Kevin was a great friend and a great competitor. He will not be soon replaced." Gobrecht won the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series "A" Feature at Williams Grove Speedway on July 31, 1998, in John Zemaitis' #1Z Zemco sprinter. He substituted for Jac Haudenschild in the #22 Elden Racing Maxim in 1996. Kevin won seven features, including Williams Grove Speedway's Early Bird championship, before joining the Amoco team earlier this year. He won three races in less than 24 hours - at Williams Grove, Lincoln Speedway and Port Royal Speedway - in February. Gobrecht was the National Sprint Car Poll Rookie of the Year in 1995. He graduated with a degree in Business and Finance from Millersville University in 1991. WoO