Devastating News--Ron Pestana Dies in a Race Car
General
60-year-old Ron Pestana loved racing. He was a mini super truck champion and loved the track so much he was the lead singer of a band that sang about it.
"Ron Pestana and the Pit Crew" had even performed at the All-American Speedway in Roseville -- the same place where Saturday night he crashed and died.
Speedway manager Ken Brooks says this is the third fatality at the race track since it opened in 1954.
The cause of the crash is under investigation. The accident happened on the fourth lap of the spectator race. It was kid's night and the grandstands were packed with families. Pestana was rounding a turn at approximately 45 miles per hour when he veered up the track and slammed head-on into the safety barrier near the ramp where cars exit.
Pestana was an experienced driver and there were no skid marks. Some witnesses suspect he might have had a medical emergency before the crash.
Sheriff's deputies towed the car and have not released a cause of death.
Pestana was in a spectator car which are rented at the Speedway. Brooks says they have all the same safety restraints as any other racing vehicle and says they are safe.
The All American Speedway will be open on Saturday for the races. Brooks says they will start the evening with a memorial lap in honor of Pestana and a moment of silence.
updated by @jeff-gilder: 12/05/16 04:02:07PM
