Racing star Robbie Brewer passes away at 53 after heart attack causes Bowman Gray Stadium crash (Image via Getty)

Robbie Brewer was a beloved short-track racing driver. On Saturday night, August 9, 2025, he suffered a serious medical problem while racing at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The incident happened in the Sportsman division, with just four laps to go in the first of two scheduled 20-lap races. Brewer’s car veered into the wall in turn 4 and he was badly hurt. He was taken to a nearby hospital, and tragically, on Sunday morning his family confirmed he had died at age 53. Brewer’s passing shocked the racing world.

Robbie Brewer had been driving his famous green No. 68 car at Bowman Gray Stadium, a place he raced at for more than 35 years. On the night of August 9, he was competing in the Sportsman division. As the green flag waved with four laps left, Brewer suddenly lost control. His car, which had been running fourth, drifted into the outside wall between turns 3 and 4. It bounced off and hit nearly head-on at the straightaway wall. Track workers had to cut the roof off to get him out of the car. He was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. Reports say that Brewer had a heart attack while inside the car and that caused the crash.Also Read: Leylah Fernandez shares surprising dating news ahead of Cincinnati Open

Robbie Brewer was a fixture at Bowman Gray. He made 311 starts across Sportsman, Modified, and Stadium Stock divisions. He won 11 races in the Sportsman division and claimed the 2011 Sportsman championship at the track. He also ran Modified races across the Carolinas, winning 12 of 21 races in 2018–19 and earning two 602 Modified Tour championships. In 2016, he won the 602 Super Limited Series title. His racing career was built over decades, and he was part of the tight-knit Robbins & Lewis racing family that includes Dylan Ward, Chase Lewis, and Brad and Emilee Lewis.Fellow racer Brad Lewis wrote on Facebook: “I gave my last fist bump to Robbie last night and told him to give ’em hell. Emilee spoke the last words to him over the radio… He was my family. A true man’s man… I will never forget you, Robbie.” Those words show how much he meant to people around him.