The Best Plumber 604 Racing Series — a regional dirt late model division — was competing at 1-75 Raceway on Saturday night for its season-opener when the dangerous incident took place.
Greg Martin and Matt Henderson collided in the feature race, and Martin was clearly frustrated. While Henderson's car was receiving service in the pits, Martin drove into the side of the vehicle at a low rate of speed. Even still, there were two crew members standing on the opposite side of the car, and both were knocked to the ground by the impact. One of the crew members did suffer some injuries, including bruised ribs.
Martin was immediately disqualified and was not allowed to take any further part in the race weekend. Martin, 51, was also arrested and charged with aggravated assault. Additionally, the series suspended him for at least the next two years.
"Driver and crew safety is of the utmost importance to the Best Plumber 604 Racing Series," series officials said in a statement. “All participants are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that protects the safety of competitors, crews, officials, fans and partner tracks” and it will “continue to uphold the standards of conduct expected at all series events.”
Henderson addressed the incident that led to the pit road run-in via Facebook, saying: "I bottomed out and hit Greg getting into turn one 3 laps after a restart. We had ran door to door for 3 laps so if my intention was to wreck him I wouldn’t have waited to do it for 3 laps. We hit as I bounced through the holes and it wrecked us. I hate that. Would rather have just got me. If Greg wanted to fight me or tell me how unhappy he was or anything to that degree I’d have understood it. No one wants that. So I get it. When he chose to use his race car to hit mine in a crowded pit area and injured people, that I can’t understand. That is not something that should ever happen.
"I apologize to my team for everything that happened. I hate mine and Greg’s car was torn up in the on track stuff and then further once he rammed them together in the pit area.
I am not asking for support of the on track incident or anyone to think that I blame him for that. I bottomed out and caused that accident. The running through the pits speeding to hit a car and assaulting guys with race cars has to be a hard line in the sand that we don’t allow to get crossed.
"Thankfully no one was injured far worse. Stuff like that can head a completely different direction rather we mean for it to or not."
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