For decades, NASCAR has been one of the most exhilarating sports, but the sport has also been marred by tragedy due to drivers pushing their vehicles to the limit on confined hazardous circuits. However, many NASCAR drivers have also lost their lives due to causes other than racing accidents.

July 13, 2023, commemorated 30 years after one such event, the death of Daytona 500 winner Davey Allison. NASCAR on NBC shared a tweet honoring Allison’s career, to which the fans responded with heartfelt messages of sympathy.

As NBC Honors Davey Allison, NASCAR Fans Join In to Give Tribute to the Driver

On July 13, 1993, Allison took his brand new Hughes 369HS helicopter to Talladega Superspeedway to catch his friend Neil Bonnett and Neil’s son David Bonnett, testing a vehicle before David’s debut in the Busch Series. Allison was trying to land the helicopter within a fenced-in portion of the track infield when the chopper nosed up unexpectedly and crashed, killing him due to a catastrophic head injury.

Remembering the driver, the official NASCAR on NBC’s Twitter account posted a message commemorating his death. It wasn’t long before people flocked to the post to pay their respects and tribute to the renowned NASCAR driver.

The comments section was flooded with individuals showing their tribute with statements like,

“Such a great driver! I was 13 yrs old & cried my eyes out! Felt like I lost a family member! Can’t believe it’s been 30 years!! We will always miss him, & will never forget him either!! “

“A Southern Gentleman on and off the track, my #NASCAR life was devastated that day. RIP Davey.”

“He was my second favorite driver all time behind Richard Petty. the way many felt that nascar was never the same after losing Dale was the way i felt as a kid when Davey died.”

“Balled like a baby when I heard he had passed. Davey was a class act.”

However, Davey Allison wasn’t the only NASCAR driver who lost his life in a plane accident. There have been many more people killed in plane crashes.

Watch This Story: Near-Fatal Crash That Tragically Ended 1983 Cup Champs Career—Wish I Had Died

NASCAR Drivers Who Died Due to Aviation Accidents

According to Autoweek, two of stock car racing’s biggest talents were killed within four months of each other in 1993, a tragedy that had an immediate and lasting effect on the sport.

When Alan Kulwicki and three of his employees were en route to the Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 1, 1993, they were killed when their private jet crashed while attempting to land in Blountville, Tennessee.

On October 4, 1970, Hall of Fame driver and early Cup sensation Curtis Turner and professional golfer Clarence King were killed when their Aero Commander 500 crashed in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

On October 24, 2004, a Beechcraft Super King Air 200 operated by Hendrick Motorsports crashed near Bull Mountain, Virginia, killing 10 people, including Rick Hendrick’s brother John and Rick’s son Ricky.

Among the drivers that NASCAR has lost, who would you have liked to see be a part of the sport in modern times, maybe have a podcast of their own?

Read More: “Gone Way Too Soon” – Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Brother Pens Emotional Tribute to Late NASCAR Rival & Ex-Daytona 500 Winner Davey Allison