Tragedy strikes Thompson, again.

It won't be easy for those close to Shane Hammond to come to terms with his death. Even those who never met the young Massachusetts man are probably struggling with the many questions surrounding this racing tragedy, mainly why? Hammond, 27, died Sunday at Thompson Speedway while competing in the Icebreaker's NEMA Midget feature. According to reports, Hammond was entering turn three when the car he was driving collided with that of Chris Leonard of New Hampshire, sending Hammond over the concrete wall and into a billboard above the track. This is second fatality at Thompson in less than a year, and third death in four years.

Over the next few days, many will want to call for safety improvements at Thompson Speedway because of this accident, and there will be some merit to those arguments. But, I think we need to keep a few things in mind as the racing community heals. First, of the three tragedies mentioned, one was probably preventable, and the reason for recent safety changes at the track. It was Tommy Baldwin Jr's accident in 2004 that ended up being the driving force behind the new light project at the speedway. Baldwin lost control of his Whelen Modified when he was forced into the wet grass along the back stretch. Unable to stop or steer the car, he eventually crashed into an infield light post adjacent to the pit road entrance. The point of impact was the driver's side door.

John Blewett III passed away in August of 2007 when he and his brother, Jimmy, got into a wreck between turns one and two. The two cars came to rest at the top of the track, one stacked on the other. Allegedly, a piece of equipment from Jimmy's Modified somehow got into John's cockpit, causing massive head trauma. John later died at Hubbard Hospital in Webster.

I wasn't there this Sunday, so I can only rely on what I'm reading and hearing. But, based on current information, Hammond's death was caused from his car impacting a billboard above the track. It was speed that got him airborne. It was speed and the inherent risk that comes with racing that took the life of Hammond. Safety barriers and softer walls would not have prevented this tragedy from happening. It very well could prevent a future fatality, but not this one. Yes, racing across the board is faster today, faster than ever. And yes, local tracks, for whatever reason, are having a difficult time keeping up. But don't be so quick to point fingers, now is not the time to use Hammond's death as a reason to find fault with the track.

Shane Hammond died while living his dream. Now is the time to support his family and friends as they try to find an answer to the question, why?