NASCAR WCUP: John Deere Motorsports Mourns Loss of Crew Member
7 June 2000
Posted By Terry
Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
CONCORD, N.C. - In a tragic accident, Winston Cup racing
lost one if its members this weekend as Dave Rush, a four-year veteran on
Chad Little's race team, was fatally injured in a boating accident on Lake
Norman. Rush, a 48-year-old native of Elkhart, Ind., was involved in a
two-boat accident late on Saturday, June 3 that left two others injured.
A resident of Mooresville, N.C., Rush worked as a shop fabricator for Jack Roush's No. 97 Winston Cup team and fuel catch man on race day. The cause of the accident is currently under investigation and officials will re-enact the accident on Monday afternoon to gather more information. No witnesses were present at the time of the accident, which occurred south of the U.S. 150 bridge.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Rush family, and everyone who knew Dave," team owner Jack Roush said. "All five Roush Racing Winston Cup teams will carry a special decal this weekend, because while Dave was a member on the No. 97 team, he touched every individual in our racing organization. Dave will be missed, but he will not be soon forgotten."
"The guys in the shop met this morning and we all shared the wonderful memories we had of Dave," noted crew chief Jeff Hammond. "Dave was a highly skilled fabricator and he was a major reason why we feel we have one of the best superspeedway programs. The crew got together this morning and decided to name our upcoming Daytona car "Rush's Rig" in memory of Dave and all of his hard work. This next week will be difficult, but I believe the strength of this group lies in the camaraderie and strong ties we have with one another."
Dave Rush is survived by his three daughters, Shelly, Stephanie and Jennifer. A 6:00 p.m. memorial service will take place at the team's shop in Concord on Tuesday, June 6, and is open to all NASCAR race team personnel. The facility is located next to the Concord Regional Airport at 7050 Aviation Boulevard. The family has asked that in lieu of flowers all donations be made to the St. Jude's Children's Hospital in name of Dave Rush. No immediate plans for a burial service have been arranged.
Text provided by Kevin Radvany
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