Richard Allen Baldwin (June 10, 1955June 12, 1997) was an American racing driver who competed on the
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...
circuit. He ran a few races each season between 1983 and 1985, running his self-owned
Dodge Mirada
The Dodge Mirada is a mid-sized, rear-wheel drive coupe manufactured and marketed by Dodge for the model years 1980 to 1983, sharing the Chrysler J platform along with its badge engineered variants, the second generation Chrysler Cordoba and the ...
and
Chrysler Imperial
The Chrysler Imperial, introduced in 1926, was Chrysler's top-of-the-line vehicle for much of its history. Models were produced with the Chrysler name until 1954, after which it became a standalone brand; and again from 1990 to 1993. The compan ...
.
On June 14, 1986, Baldwin was substituting for the injured
Buddy Arrington
Buddy Rogers Arrington (July 26, 1938 – August 2, 2022) was an American NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and owner.
Racing career
Arrington has the second-most starts without a win, and finished in the top 10 of NASCAR points twice; in 1 ...
at the
Miller American 400 at
Michigan International Speedway
Michigan International Speedway (MIS) is a moderate-banked D-shaped speedway located off U.S. Highway 12 on more than approximately south of the village of Brooklyn, in the scenic Irish Hills area of southeastern Michigan. The track is ...
, part of the
NASCAR Winston Cup Series
The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971, ...
. During qualifying, Baldwin spun and hit the wall, driver's side first, between turns one and two. The protective window netting may have failed to prevent his head from striking the wall during the impact, resulting in massive head injuries.
In January 1992, a law suit was
filed by Baldwin's wife Deborah, claiming the window net had allowed her husband's head to strike the wall,
was decided in favor of NASCAR, which was cleared of negligence by a 12-person state district court jury.
After eleven years in a coma, Baldwin died two days after his 42nd birthday in 1997. The fatality was the first driver death in the history of Michigan International Speedway. Baldwin was survived by his wife, two daughters, Jennifer and Tiffany, and his mother and father.
References
External links
*
Motorsport Memorial*''Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal'' article o
Baldwin and his family's situation published in February 1988*''The News-Journal'' article o
Baldwin and his family's situation published in February 1989*''Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal'' article o
Baldwin and his family's situation published in February 1993
1955 births
1997 deaths
Racing drivers from Texas
NASCAR drivers
People with severe brain damage
Racing drivers who died while racing
Sports deaths in Michigan
Sportspeople from Corpus Christi, Texas
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