Driver killed in Thompson crash
THOMPSON, Conn. -- John Blewett III, a 34-year-old NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver from Howell, N.J., died from massive head injuries suffered in a multicar accident last night at Thompson International Speedway.
Blewett's 26-year-old brother, Jimmy, was involved in the crash but was unhurt.
After track rescue workers took nearly 30 minutes to extricate him, Blewett was transported to Hubbard Regional Hospital in Webster, Mass., where he was pronounced dead at 11 p.m., according to Connecticut State Police.
"He was unresponsive when he was extricated from the car, but he was still showing signs of life," said Sergeant Eric Murray, who was summoned to the track and launched an investigation of the accident scene.
NASCAR officials declined to issue a statement, saying the 150-lap race had been halted with 43 laps to go. Todd Szegedy was in the lead, but no winner had been declared.
At the time of the accident, around 9:48, Blewett, who was making his sixth start on the Whelen Modified Tour, was racing his younger brother for the lead on a restart when Jimmy's No. 12 car swerved in front of race traffic as the field approached Turn 1.
Television replays showed Jimmy's car spin, hit the wall, and collect his older brother's car, which was spun after it was rear-ended by Woody Pitkat's No. 79. The rear end of John Blewett's No. 66 was pinned beneath the rear end of his brother's car.
Jimmy Blewett, a two-time winner on the Whelen Modified Tour who had started all 10 races this season, climbed out of his car and rushed to his brother's car. Unable to help, Jimmy began jumping up and down, waving to rescue crews.
While rescue crews worked to extricate Blewett, the rest of the drivers watched from the frontstretch, where their cars had been brought to a halt.
NASCAR officials huddled with the drivers, who decided to pull their cars off the track.
The brothers were unhurt earlier in the evening when they were involved in a frontstretch accident as they raced for the lead on a restart eight laps into a 30-lap
On Aug. 19, 2004, Tommy Baldwin, the father of NASCAR Nextel Cup crew chief Tommy Baldwin Jr., was killed in a crash during a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Thompson.
Michael Vega can be reached at vega@globe.com. 
