Hartwell Speedway in Georgia will go dark this weekend. Last Saturday, a car crashing into an infield wall killed one and injured two others, including a 11-year-old boy.
“We will take this weekend off from racing, out of respect for families and friends of the people in this accident,” said Matthew Lance, public relations director of the family-owned track. “Everyone needs time to grieve right now.”
What Happened
Paul Ballenger, 57; Ricky Hamilton, 22; and Bryson Sorrow, 11; watched the open-wheel modified feature on the frontstretch near turn one, looking at the action from behind a four-foot, earth-backed wall topped with a chain-link fence.
“The steering shaft broke in the open-wheel modified,” Lance said. “The car went to the inside and jumped the wall. It ricocheted off the fence.”
Lance said he did not know the extent of the injuries for those struck by the car. He is awaiting an official report.
Track’s Perspective
Lance’s father, Marty Lance, promotes Hartwell Speedway. The Lance family, who bought the track in 2005, released the following statement on Facebook:
“We’ve never had anything like this happen,” said Lance. “It is a total freak accident.”
Hartwell Speedway had an ambulance and two paramedics staged in the infield. Lance said the track is insured, as required by the State of Georgia.
“We’re going over everything as far as safety is concerned,” Lance said. “The wall did its job, but it was a bad circumstance that people were standing there. We will do what is necessary to make our track safe.”
Those Affected by the Tragedy
Paul Ballenger, of Royston, Georgia, worked as an auto body repair technician at a local Ford dealership. He leaves behind his girlfriend, Terri Patman, as well as two sisters, three brothers, two daughters, two sons, and 14 grandchildren.
To help pay for his funeral expenses, Mallarie Burdette started this GoFundMe page.
Suzy Moon, great-aunt of Bryson Sorrow, describes him as a “brilliant and active 11-year-old” on a GoFundMe page she set up for him and his parents Justin and Megan Sorrow, of Colbert, Georgia. She said he remains hospitalized with a “broken arm, broken ribs, and, as of this writing, a possible liver laceration.”
Moon started the GoFundMe page to help pay for his parents’ “temporary housing, meals, and travel expenses while he is hospitalized and for unforeseen expenses that arise once he is able to return home.” According to the GoFundMe page, Sorrow’s parents live more than 80 miles away from the hospital Sorrow is currently recuperating in.
Ricky Hamilton, of Danielsville, Georgia, incurred broken ribs, a brain bleed, damage to his mouth, and a broken neck, according to a GoFundMe page set up by his sister, Tiffany Hamilton. She describes her brother as an outgoing person, with a great heart who would help anyone in need. He has no insurance. Tiffany Hamilton started a GoFundMe page to help pay his hospital bills.
“We are focused on helping these three families,” Lance said. “Everyone is family at this racetrack.”
Mike Adaskaveg has written hundreds of stories since the website’s inception. This year marks his 54th year of covering auto racing. Adaskaveg got his start working for track photographer Lloyd Burnham at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 1970. Since then, he’s been a columnist, writer, and photographer, in racing and in mainstream media, for several outlets, including the Journal Inquirer, Boston Herald, Stock Car Racing, and Speedway Illustrated. Among Adaskaveg’s many awards are the 1992 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Ace Lane Photographer of the Year and the 2019 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) George Cunningham Writer of the Year.
