THOMPSON, Conn. — Shane Hammond, one of the Northeastern Midget Ass’n's young stalwarts, died Sunday from “traumatic injuries” sustained in a crash at Thompson Int’l Speedway’s season-opening Icebreaker.  The crash occurred on the fourth lap of the scheduled 25-lapper.
Hammond, 27, of Halifax, Mass., made contact with another car on the backstretch on the fourth lap. Getting airborne, Hammond’s car cleared the concrete wall and struck a billboard in turn three.
After being extricated from the race car (a process that took some 12 minutes), Hammond was taken by ambulance to Day Kimball Hospital in nearby Putnam where he died.
NEMA immediately suspended the race. It was the first of 19 scheduled events for the 58-year old club.
Hammond, who was driving Mike Jarret’s second car, joined the midget ranks after a very successful stint in go karts. Regarded as a “steady hand,” he was described as very “steady” driver who had “shook down” the car on several occasions.
The last fatality for NEMA was Ed Clothier at Westboro Speedway on June 19, 1965.