Legendary racer, engineer, and tuner John Lingenfelter has passed away on December 25th at the age of 58 from complications due to an accident.

Lingenfelter was racing R.J. Simrock in the semifinals of the Mazda NHRA Sport Compact World Finals at Pomona Raceway when he lost control of his Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Cavalier, crossed the centerline, and hit the guardwall in the opposite lane. According to witnesses, it appeared that Lingenfelter may have been knocked unconscious upon impact, as his car proceeded off the end of the track under power before coming to rest against a safety barrier at track’s end.

I hadn’t actually heard about this accident until today… very sad, though. For those of you unfamiliar with John, you can read his obituary, and also check out his company, Lingenfelter Engineering.