Well-known drag racing patriarch Virgil Hartman has died. He was 75.

The former drag racer, who passed on his love for the sport to his children Richard and Rhonda, battled serious illness for the past three weeks in the ICU due to complications with his diabetes and heart. 

“Blessed to have such a wonderful man as my father; someone I always admired, looked up to, received the best advice from, guided and supported me in everything I did,” said Rhonda Hartman-Smith. “His opinion meant the most to me; I always strived to make him proud and will continue to do so throughout my time on this earth.

“I’m devastated this day has come where we had to say goodbye, but I have the best memories with him that I will cherish for the rest of my life. No words can express how shattered my heart feels; I will miss his words of wisdom, his strength when I need it most, and the love he gave us. His strong work ethic to provide for his family was inspiring.

“But even when I am comforted by the belief that my dad is somewhere better than this earth and that I will someday get to hug him and hear him say he loves me again, I will still miss him.

“The weight of this sorrow is unbearable, but I know the love we shared is a special kind of magic that I was blessed to have experienced.”

Hartman was one-of-a-kind, as many remembered his willingness to help those who sought counsel on how to make motorsports a career. 

Brian Dunlap, who is the Director of Broadcast at World Racing Group, was one of those to step forward on Monday evening when news broke of Hartman’s passing.

“This one hits super hard,” Dunlap said. “I don’t know that Virgil ever knew, but he was a large influence in my life. When I was about 14 or 15, he was one of about ten people I reached out to through email for advice on how to gain a full-time career in motorsports. He was one of only a couple that took the time to reply. We swapped several emails, and when I went to introduce myself at the drag races in Las Vegas, he was not only incredibly welcoming but took me down and introduced me to a fuel team that needed a hand that weekend. 

“What were probably seemingly small gestures for him really helped shape my approach to life.

“When I moved to the east coast, we reconnected, and he was quick to always take time to talk about racing and life.”

We at CompetitionPlus.com send our thoughts and prayers to the Hartman family.