NASCAR mourns member of Dale Earnhardt Jr.-owned team … – Charlotte Observer

The NASCAR community is mourning a member of a race team owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports who died in a car wreck in Iredell County.

Michael Adam Wright, a 33-year-old mechanic with driver Michael Annett’s JRM Xfinity Series team, died late Sunday when he twice ran off curvy Flower House Loop in Troutman and his car went airborne, State Highway Patrol Trooper J.S. Swagger told the (Statesville) Record & Landmark. Wright, who lived in Troutman, wasn’t wearing a seat belt and was partially ejected, Swagger told the newspaper. No other cars were involved.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Adam Wright, a friend and JRM team member who was lost tragically over the weekend,” JR Motorsports tweeted on Wednesday morning with a copy of Wright’s obituary.

Flags are flying at half-staff outside JR Motorsports in Talbert Pointe Business Park in Mooresville this week.

Wright so loved working in motorsports that he returned to the sport after taking a break to start a business, AWRestorations, that created “beautiful wood products from recycled, antique wood sources,” according to his obituary.

Wright’s death drew condolences from across the motorsports community this week, including from NASCAR Monster Energy Cup series drivers such as Brian Vickers and Regan Smith and such famous former drivers as Darrell Waltrip.

“Thinking a lot about our dear friend Adam Wright this week!” Vickers tweeted with a crying emoji. “So sad he has left us. Great man!”

Waltrip, a three-time NASCAR Cup champion and lead commentator for NASCAR on FoxSports, tweeted that Wright’s dad, Pete, worked for him for years.

“He loved his son and wanted the best for him, my prayers are for Pete, love you, God Bless,” Waltrip said.

“You will be missed Adam,” JR Motorsports mechanic Bill Mares tweeted with a crying emoji. “Rest in Peace.”

Services to honor and remember Wright will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Rich Fork Baptist Church, 3992 Old U.S. 29 in Thomasville, with the Rev. Lee Hedrick and Motor Racing Outreach Chaplain Donnie Floyd officiating. The family will receive friends two hours before the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that people donate to their local humane society or to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN, 38105 “in recognition of Adam’s love of animals and children.”