Maynard Yingst

After taking a some time off, fellow Pennsylvanian racer Bruce Larson wanted to return to drag racing in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) after a long career as a match racer. Yingst quit his sprint car racing career to become Larson's crew chief in NHRA's Funny Car division.^[1] Larson won the 1989 NHRA Funny Car title after winning six national events (the Winternationals, Springnationals, Mile-High nationals, Seafair Nationals, Fallnationals and the NHRA Winston Finals) and finishing second at five more events.^[5] He worked for "Flash Gordon" Mineo in the 1991 season, entering five national events.^[6] He was hired by Chuck Etchells in 1992 to be his crew chief, and Etchells had three events wins to finish fifth in the season points.^[7]

Yingst was working in the pits at Houston Raceway Park on March 6, 1993 at the NHRA Slick 50 Nationals when he collapsed and died from a brain aneurysm.^[1] "We were devastated," said Etchells. "Maynard was only 43 and was at the top of his profession. My feeling at the time-was not that we had lost a crew chief but a very dear friend who was like a father to all of the guys on the crew."^[7] Williams Grove Speedway started a "Maynard Yingst Memorial" sprint car race after his death.^[1]