The racing community is grieving again. Rick Treadway, a former INDYCAR SERIES driver who started the 2002 Indianapolis 500, died May 30 in a motorcycle accident. He was 56 years old. The loss hits hard for fans who already spent the past week mourning. It comes just days after the sudden death of Kyle Busch, another driver gone far too soon. Treadway’s family ran deep in the sport. His father, Fred Treadway, owned an INDYCAR team, and Rick carried that name onto one of the biggest stages in American motorsports when he made the field for the 2002 Indianapolis 500. Two-time Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk remembered Treadway personally: Sad news hearing Rick Treadway passed away last Saturday. Our condolences go out to my former @IndyCar team owner Fred Treadway, Janice and Brian Treadway.Rick was a fun, crazy, humble, wild and brave personality ❗️RIP Ricky ❤️ We are thinking of you Treadway family pic.twitter.com/C9FJKm5xEV — Arie Luyendyk (@ArieLuyendyk) June 1, 2026 The official word from the series carried the same somber tone. INDYCAR confirmed Treadway’s passing in a tribute on its website. Treadway came up through the open-wheel ranks before earning his place in the 33-car field at the Brickyard. For a driver, starting the Indianapolis 500 is the kind of accomplishment that follows you for life. It is the one race everyone in the sport measures themselves against. The timing is what makes this stretch so painful for fans. The racing world is still processing one loss when another lands. Longtime NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass also confirmed the news: Sad news: Rick Treadway, who started the 2002 Indianapolis 500, died May 30 in a motorcycle accident. He was 56. — Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 1, 2026 Treadway leaves behind a family that gave a lot to the sport, including his father Fred, and the larger INDYCAR community that came up alongside them. Drivers know the risks they take on the track. Losing one of their own off it, on a motorcycle on a Saturday, is a reminder of how little any of it is promised. Rest in peace, Rick Treadway. INDYCAR confirmed Treadway’s death and summarized his racing career: Rick Treadway, who started the 2002 Indianapolis 500, died May 30 in a motorcycle accident. He was 56. Indiana native Treadway (photo, top, right), the son of 1997 Indianapolis 500-winning team owner Fred Treadway (photo, top, left), started 17th and placed 29th in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in the No. 5 Sprint/Kyocera Wireless/Airlink Enterprises G Force/Chevrolet fielded by his father’s team and as a teammate to two-time Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk. Treadway and Tony Kanaan were eliminated from the race in an accident in Turn 3 on Lap 90. The Indy 500 start was the highlight of Treadway’s INDYCAR SERIES career, which consisted of 11 races in the 2001 and 2002 seasons for his father’s teams Treadway-Hubbard Racing and Treadway Racing. He made his INDYCAR SERIES debut in 2001 at Kentucky Speedway and his final start in 2002 at the season finale at Texas Motor Speedway. His best finish was fifth at the 2001 season finale at Texas. Before joining the INDYCAR SERIES, Treadway competed in Formula 2000 junior formula racing and in various short-track open-wheel series, including the USAC Silver Crown and National Midget Series. He also raced in SCCA competition. Treadway, a graduate of Indiana State University, worked in business development and as a commercial pilot for his charter air service. He also served as an Federal Aviation Administration-certified flight instructor. The Associated Press reported the Kyle Busch death that had already shaken the racing world days earlier: Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion who won more races than anyone across NASCAR’s three national series, has died at 41. The Busch Family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR issued a joint statement Thursday saying Busch died after being hospitalized. No cause of death was given. Busch’s family said earlier Thursday that he was hospitalized with a “severe illness,” three days before he was to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Busch was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, several people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details have not been disclosed by Busch’s team or family. Busch was the younger brother of Kurt Busch, a NASCAR Hall of Famer. He’s survived by wife Samantha and children Brexton and Lennix. From Las Vegas, Busch experienced unrivaled success across NASCAR’s three national series winning a combined 234 Cup, O’Reilly Auto Parts and Trucks Series races. He had 63 Cup victories along with 102 O’Reilly Auto Parts wins and 69 Trucks victories — both records. For motorsports fans, it is another hard week and another reminder of how many lives are tied together by the racing family. This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.