Busch Series crew chief killed in automobile accident

Christain Lovendahl, the crew chief for P.J. Jones' NASCAR Busch Series team, was killed in a car wreck while returning from Richmond, Virginia.

Lovendahl, 27, the nephew of Winston Cup star Mark Martin, was killed Friday night while driving outside Mooresville, according to Lovendahl's Yellow Racing team.

Two other crew members in the car - Michael Johnson and Jason Owen - were treated for minor cuts and bruises at Lake Norman Regional Medical Center and released, the team said.

Other details about the wreck were not immediately available. The state trooper investigating the accident did not return a telephone message Friday night.

Lovendahl and several crew members had flown from Virginia to North Carolina after Jones failed to qualify for Friday's Hardee's 250. Martin finished fourth in the race.

Lovendahl, a native of Batesville, Arkansas, is survived by his wife, Jennifer. Funeral plans were incomplete.