NASCAR Saddened By Death Of Legendary Figure In Racing World
MADISON, IL - JUNE 05: A NASCAR Cup Series logo is seen in the pedestrian tunnel during the NASCAR Cup Series Inaugural Enjoy Illinois 300 Presented by TicketSmarter on June 5, 2022, at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway in Madison, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The NASCAR world is in mourning this month following the passing of Arnie Kuhns, one of the longtime leaders in promoting motorsports safety. He was 83 years old.
Kuhns was president and CEO of the SFI Foundation, a non-profit that works on administering standards for quality assurance of performance and racing equipment.
In a statement, NASCAR credited Kuhns for being a pioneer in the field and helping to develop safety standards for their competitions and others across the world.
"Arnie Kuhns was a pioneer in the world of motorsports safety, and a trusted advisor and friend of the NASCAR industry. Arnie's passion for motorsports led him to develop a standard for safety that is now recognized by racing sanctioning bodies throughout the world. His tireless efforts saved countless lives, and he will be remembered as an innovator and a leader. NASCAR extends its deepest condolences to Arnie's family and friends," NASCAR said in a statement, per FOX reporter Bob Pockrass.
In a statement of their own SFI highlighted Kuhns' many accomplishments since joining the foundation in the 1980s. He was credited with building the company up from having just two employees to over 100.
"In the beginning, SFI had only two employees managing four product standards for one sanctioning body. Now, SFI testing and certification has grown to a steadfast program with more than one hundred quality assurance specifications that are utilized by hundreds of sanctioning bodies internationally.
"As a result of Arnie’s hard work and unrelenting belief in doing the right thing, thousands of parts have been tested to safety standards to prove their worth and reliability. That has undoubtedly led to countless lives saved on the racetrack...
"As a person, Arnie was a kind family man and served as a role model to those who worked with him and knew him personally. He will be greatly missed by all."
