Within minutes of the news that Bradley McCaskill, a veteran racer in Late Model Stock Car racing, was hospitalized after a crash at East Carolina Motor Speedway, the racing community rallied to support him.
McCaskill was transported with second degree burns on his hands and thighs as a result of hot water from a damaged radiator after a terrible crash in the closing laps. The incident, which totaled several cars and damaged even more, took place in the closing laps of Saturday night’s race at the Robersonville, North Carolina short track. Prior to Saturday night’s race, McCaskill was second in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series North Carolina state championship standings.
Many racers and fans changed their profile picture on Sunday to pictures of McCaskill’s car to show solidarity with the Archer Lodge, North Carolina driver.
“Thoughts and prayers to Bradley McCaskill,” Brenden Queen, who was involved in the accident, said to The Weekly Racer’s Justin Kern after the race. “No matter whose fault it is, to be apart of something where someone gets hurt it’s a horrible feeling.”
Thomas Burbage, who went on to win the race, also offered his prayers to McCaskill.
“I really want to give a call out to Bradley McCaskill and hope he’s okay, he got burnt up pretty bad,” Burbage said to Kern.
Along with racing, McCaskill is also the proprietor of Grafix Unlimited in Raleigh, North Carolina. His spotter and co-worker, fellow racer Robert Arch, said the business will remain open while McCaskill is in the hospital. Arch said the burns elsewhere on his body weren’t as bad as the burns on his hand.
McCaskill’s crash is the second time within the past year that a driver has been injured in a wreck at East Carolina Motor Speedway. Last summer, Haley Moody was injured in a crash and was sidelined for nearly a month.
It is unknown how long McCaskill will be sidelined. Arch told Short Track Scene they would know more on Tuesday.
“There is no time table at all at this point,” Arch commented. “It’s a long road.”
