Matt Hawkins, one of the
brightest young stars of the short track world and driver for
Jani-King in the USAR Pro Cup Series and ARCA racing series, has
passed away at the age of 21. Hawkins lost his life after an
incident involving an accidental gun discharge Friday night in
Georgia.
On the track, Hawkins had built up an amazing resume. He
won in his first career starts in both the ARCA RE/MAX Series and
USAR Pro Cup Series – a seemingly-impossible accomplishment that
may never be matched. He also won numerous Pro Late Model races
in the Southeast and finished in the top three of the Snowball
Derby for the last two seasons.
Off the track, Hawkins was known
for being an especially kind, polite and personable young man. He
might have seemed quiet at first glance, but Matt was one of
those people who you couldn’t help but to become quick
friends with.
