Born into the world of Motorsports, on his LinkedIn page, Rick Treadway described himself as a “professional race car driver, commercial pilot, experienced boater, and avid motorcycle rider.” It was one of those passions, motorcycles, that took him away from everything else. Treadway died on Saturday, May 30, in a motorcycle accident. He was 56. The Indiana native is survived by his father, Fred Treadway, his mother, Janice, and his brother Brian.

Rick came into the sport the hard way, before he ever got to IndyCar. He worked his way up through the USAC Silver Crown and National Midget Series and Formula 2000 from 1998 to 2001. And that is the unglamorous open-wheel ladder most casual fans never see.

When he did reach the IRL, he drove for his father Fred’s teams (Treadway-Hubbard Racing in 2001, then Treadway Racing in 2002) across 11 starts. His debut came at Kentucky Speedway, and his best result was a fifth at the 2001 season finale at Texas. But the highlight of his IndyCar career was the 2002 Indianapolis 500. Back then, he qualified 17th alongside teammate Arie Luyendyk, who had won the race for his father’s team five years earlier.

Their race ended in Turn 3 on Lap 90, collected in an accident alongside Tony Kanaan. It was his only Indy 500 start, and getting there and starting alongside a legend in his father’s car meant everything.

The Treadway name at Indianapolis carries its own weight, as Fred’s team swept 1st and 2nd in the 1997 Indy 500, with Luyendyk winning and Scott Goodyear second. Rick grew up in that environment, and it never left him. After IndyCar, he kept coming back to the Brickyard in different capacities.

He competed in every running of the Indy Legends Charity Pro-Am at IMS from its inaugural edition in 2014 through 2018, racing alongside fellow Indy 500 veterans on the road course. He also became a regular presence on Conor Daly’s Speed Street podcast.

Now, it was Daly and Luyendyk who broke the news publicly.

Luyendyk wrote on X: “Sad news hearing Rick Treadway passed away last Saturday. Our condolences go out to my former IndyCar team owner Fred Treadway, Janice, and Brian Treadway. Rick was a fun, crazy, humble, wild, and brave personality. RIP Ricky. We are thinking of you, Treadway family.”

Daly followed: “Really sad to see this news today. If you listen to Speed Street Podcast you know how much this name means to a certain segment of our show. RIP Ricky. We’ll keep doing our Indy 500 driver research in your honor!”

Fox reporter Bob Pockrass added simply: “Sad news: Rick Treadway, who started the 2002 Indianapolis 500, died May 30 in a motorcycle accident. He was 56.”

Away from the cockpit, Rick was an Indiana State University graduate who ran his own charter aviation business, held FAA commercial pilot and flight instructor certifications, and built Ricky Bobby USA, LLC, which is a small business he ran out of Port Orange, Florida.

But what came through clearest in the tributes wasn’t his racing record.

“A really personable guy who loved signing autographs for fans. He had 11 IndyCar starts and will be missed. Condolences to his family and many friends,” wrote one user.

Another posted a selfie with him alongside a message that summed up who Rick was pretty well, as they had plans. “My heart is broken. Ricky Bobby Treadway passed away Saturday, just after I spoke to him about going to Universal. Ah!”

We offer our sincere condolences to the Treadway family.