Shock waves through the Central Illinois racing community are still being felt today after the tragic death of longtime race fan Ralph Wilhite at the Jacksonville Speedway on Friday night.
Speedway manager Ken Dobson announced in an eloquent post that the Speedway will be taking the rest of the month of July off to allow everyone to grieve and heal from the tragic event.
The shock waves have stretched beyond Jacksonville. Muddy River Sports reports that Adams County Speedway officials in Quincy announced today that they have added additional safety measures with more to come at their track.
Track operators Jim and Tammy Lieurance that fans will be kept farther away from the racing surface and stricter regulations will be enforced for infield track workers.
Lieurance said that the racing community is like one big family, and they are praying for the Wilhite Family and the speedy recovery of Hank Pollock, who was also injured in the accident on Friday.
Dobson says that the Jacksonville Speedway will reopen tentatively on August 9th.