Victim from Firebird Raceway tragedy identified

The woman killed in this weekend’s accident at Firebird International Raceway has been identified as Sue Zimmer, a resident of Rice Lake, Wis.

According to multiple reports Zimmer, who worked for 12 years in a dental office in Rice Lake, was in Arizona visiting her son and his wife and decided to attend the NHRA Full Throttle dragster competition on Sunday.

Her boss at the dental clinic, Dr. Dave Wilson told WEAU TV13 that Zimmer was looking forward to the drag race and frequently attended races in the Rice Lake area. “She was a wonderful receptionist and chair-side assistant at Wilson Dental,” he said,

The National Hot Rod Association issued a statement Monday saying “the entire NHRA racing community is in mourning over the tragedy. Our hearts, our prayers and our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the woman who passed away.”

The NHRA also said safety is its top priority and that it is investigating the circumstances leading up to Zimmer’s death.

Zimmer spent the day at the track during the Arizona Nationals and a video of the race shows driver Antron Brown’s dragster spinning out of control and a tire flying off the dragster and into the crowd. His car flipped on its side and hit a retaining wall before catching fire.

It is believed the tire, or a piece of the tire struck Zimmer, who was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital and pronounced dead later that night. Brown, who appeared to be uninjured, was transported to Chandler Regional for precautionary reasons.

Don Schumacher Racing, which owns Brown’s dragster, issued a statement Monday.

“There are simply no words to adequately express our feelings, but we can assure you that we are conducting a thorough investigation to determine how this happened . . . In the meantime, we extend our sympathies and ask everyone to keep the victim of yesterday’s tragedy, as well as her family and friends, in your thoughts and prayers,” wrote team owner Don Schumacher.

Here is a fan video of the incident:
 

Submitted photo