HAMPTON, Ga. - Felix Sabates was invited to fly to Martinsville Speedway last Saturday on one of Hendrick Motorsports' planes, but he decided at the last moment to stay at home.
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Scott Lathram accepted his invitation so he could see Tony Stewart before reporting for duty in Iraq.
And car owner Rick Hendrick decided not to make the trip because he was still fighting the flu.
Those decisions proved to be a matter of life and death.
Hendrick's Beech King Air 200 turboprop crashed into the side of Bull Mountain near the speedway Sunday morning after aborting its initial approach into Blue Ridge Airport. Investigators now are trying to determine whether the foggy conditions, pilot error or mechanical problems led to the death of 10 people, including four members of Hendrick's family.
Sabates said he planned to fly from Concord, N.C., to Martinsville aboard his private helicopter. The weather conditions, however, grounded most helicopter flights into southern Virginia.
He was invited to join the Hendrick group, but he later declined after his racing partner, Chip Ganassi, called to tell him his flight into Blue Ridge was diverted to Danville, Va., because of weather. That's when he decided to stay home.
"If Chip hadn't called me, I would have been on that plane," Sabates said. "He saved my life."
Lathram, a retired Kentucky policeman, had been Stewart's helicopter pilot for a year. As a member of the U.S. Army Reserves, Lathram's unit was called into action and he was to report to active duty on Tuesday. Sunday's flight was a chance for Lathram to spend the day watching his boss before leaving the country.
Those kinds of decisions also spawned memories of another decision made by longtime publicist Tom Roberts in 1993. He was with Alan Kulwicki during an appearance in Knoxville, Ky., and was supposed to fly 90 miles with the defending NASCAR champion to the race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Roberts decided at the last minute to drive to Bristol. Less than an hour later, Kulwicki's plane crashed, killing all four people on board.
GORDON LEAVES RCR: It's official - Robby Gordon won't return to Richard Childress Racing next year.
In a move that's been expected for months, Childress said Tuesday Gordon will own his own car on the Nextel Cup Series circuit in 2005.
"Now is the time for me to start my future as an owner in NASCAR's highest level," Gordon said.
Reach Don Coble at doncoble@bellsouth.net.
