"He was so very good at what he did": North Texas racing community mourns death of track official

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Billy Hurt (World of Outlaws)

KENNEDALE, Texas - The North Texas racing community is mourning the death of Billy Hurt, a track official who died in an ATV crash at Kennedale Speedway Park on Saturday.

"We're gonna miss him"

What they're saying:

The crash happened during a World of Outlaws race. The racing organization identified the victim as Billy Hurt, a longtime safety official for Sprint car racing.

Scotty Cook, a friend of Hurt's, told FOX 4's Vania Castillo that anyone who spent time around a racetrack in North Texas knew Hurt's voice and his smile.

"There's always a twinkle in his eye and a big smile. He called me Scotty Bo Body, and I knew when I got there he'd say, "How you doing? Scotty Bo Body, good to see you." And it was never stray. It was always the same," Cook said.

Scotty Cook

"I can't say enough how good he was in his job, how serious he took it," Cook continued. "It was all business when the event began, it was all business. And he was so very good at what he did."

Racing officials said Hurt worked as a volunteer and career firefighter since the 1980s. He had helped rescue sprint car drivers for more than 20 years. Cook said he was a champion of driver safety.

"They weren't just drivers to him. He had a personal relationship with all of those people back home, regionally, and they were his they were his brothers," Cook continued. "He was so on top of what he did, and so keen and so aware of his surroundings that it just blew me away that we lost him the way we did.

"He was a good man. We're gonna miss him."

Track official killed in accident

The backstory:

According to the Kennedale Police Department, the crash happened just before 9 p.m. at the racetrack located at 6737 Hudson Village Creek Road.

Police said two officials collided while responding to a race car accident on the track. Both were ejected from the all-terrain vehicles they were driving.

One official, later identified as Hurt, died at the scene. The other, Jerry Myers, was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

The race was canceled after the accident. World of Outlaws later reported Myers is now stable and recovering.

What you can do:

A GoFundMe has been set up for Jerry Myers' recovery by his family. Find a link to donate here.

Local perspective:

"Beyond his professionalism, Billy exemplified what it meant to be a good person, always putting others before himself," World Racing Group CEO Brian Carter said in a statement. "He dedicated his life to ensuring the safety of every racer, making their well-being his main priority. And beyond the track, his kindness shone further with every interaction, quickly becoming a friendly face to everyone he met. The entire World Racing Group family is deeply saddened by his loss."

Other members of the racing community said they were deeply saddened by Hurt’s death.

"So many times the spotlight is on the drivers, but the truth is none of us do what we do without the brave men and women standing on the other side of the wall. They put their lives on the line every single night to be there for us in the worst moments, making sure we have a chance to walk away and race another day," Brian Brown, a Sprint car driver, said on social media. "Billy can never be replaced, and he will be missed more than words can say. Thank you, Billy, for everything you gave to this sport and for the knowledge you passed along to so many."

"The Lucas Oil Speedway family is deeply saddened by the loss of Billy Hurt, a trusted and familiar presence in our pits through his work with racing series focused on safety. While Billy was not a member of our staff, he was someone we came to know, respect, and appreciate each time he was at our facility," Lucas Oil Speedway said on social media.