Teen Motorcycle Racer Killed at Indianapolis

A sad day for the racing world today, as one of the young talents rising to stardom was killed  before a race organized by the United States Grand Prix Racers Union ( USGPRU) at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The racer died following a crash which occurred in the warm-up stages of the event.

The rider, 13-year old Peter Lenz, fell off his bike at one point and was hit by another rider, Xavier Zayat. Zayat apparently escaped the crash uninjured, according to Stewart Aitken-Cade, chief steward of USGPRU.

The father of the rider, Michael, was on site for the race. He released a statement shortly after the incident, saying the family does not blame the other driver for the death.

“On behalf of the Lenz family, we would like to thank Peter’s friends and supporters for all their help throughout the years. We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss but know Peter is racing even faster in the sky."

"Our thoughts and prayers are now with the other racer and his family, who were also involved in this tragedy.”

People who knew the young rider described him to IndyStar as being “a heck of a racer, very accomplished. He was a great kid, very fast, very talented.” He had been on a bike since the age of 5 and became the youngest licensed expert racer in the history of the American Federation of Motorcyclists at the age of 11.

The 2010 season was supposed to be a comeback for Lenz, who had to miss most of the 2009 season because of the injuries sustained during another crash at Portland.