Driver Dies at Irwindale

Keith Cowherd of Phoenix died Saturday night from massive head injuries suffered in a collision with Shawn Davidson during the Mechanix Wear speed-truck race at Irwindale Speedway.

It is the second time in the track’s brief history that a driver has died in a crash. Casey Diemert, 23, died in March while practicing for opening night.

Cowherd, 49, was transported to Santa Teresita Hospital in Duarte where he was pronounced dead by hospital officials at 11:31 p.m.

An autopsy will be performed by the Los Angeles County coroner, though track officials did not know when.

The two trucks collided during Turn 1 of the seventh lap, and Cowherd’s slammed into the wall.

“They came together, got tangled up and he caught the wall on the outside,” track spokesman Doug Stokes said.

Cowherd was married and had three children, ages 27, 25 and 11, Stokes said.

Davidson, of Mammoth Lakes, was taken to Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, where he was treated in the emergency room and released at about 2 a.m. with bruises and minor leg injuries.

Davidson returned to the track after being released to gather his equipment and truck and return to Mammoth Lakes, Stokes said.

Both men had been battling for position when the wreck happened. Davidson’s truck hit a padded area of the wall, but Cowherd’s hit an area of concrete that was unpadded.

Davidson was able to get out of his truck while Cowherd needed help from safety officials. The race was immediately red-flagged while the men were attended to.

The race was declared over because of damage to the padded area of the wall into which Davidson’s truck crashed, Stokes said.

Darren Young, who had been leading the race when it was red-flagged, was given the victory after eight laps completed.

Bud Kaeding of Campbell made it five wins in five attempts at the speedway as he took the lead from Todd Ellison on Lap 24 and won the 30-lap USAC Sprint Car race.

Josh Wise of Riverside passed J.J. Ercse in Turn 1 of Lap 12 to win the 20-lap USAC Three-Quarter Midgets race.

Gary Sheuerell of Temecula got by Art Neville in Turn 2 on a Lap-18 restart to win his first 25-lap Legends Series race.