Tragedy struck the world of motor sports again on Sunday as freestyle motocross rider Jim McNeil died from injuries suffered during a crash before the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.
The 32-year-old FMX rider was set to participate in an exhibition before the NASCAR event at Texas Motor Speedway. After the crash on The Midway area of the site, McNeil was taken to a nearby hospital and soon pronounced dead.
A member of the Boost Mobile FMX team, McNeil was highly regarded in the racing community for his skills and his eagerness to compete. His bio at GrindTV.com describes him as "one of the hardest FMX pros out there."
The FreestyleMX.com Facebook page had the following message about McNeil's death:
Today we mourn the loss of Jim Mcneil and remember the happiness he brought us all. You will never be forgotten because you were AND still are the Real Deal. We love you buddy.
McNeil's death is the fourth to rock motor sports in recent weeks. IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon died in a massive wreck on Oct. 16, off-road racing champion Rick Huseman was killed in a plane crash that same day, and Italian rider Marco Simoncelli was killed during a MotoGP race in Malaysia on Oct. 23.
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