Childress crew member dies of H1N1 flu

WELCOME, N.C., Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Donald "D.J." Richardson Jr., a member of the Richard Childress Racing pit crew, has died of complications of the H1N1 flu. He was 37.

Richardson had joined the Childress team in July.

In a statement, RCR said Richardson died Friday at Health Alliance Hospital in Leominster, Mass. He had been admitted during the Thanksgiving Day holiday weekend and doctors determined he was suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome.

"All of us at RCR are saddened by D.J.'s passing," RCR President and Chief Executive Officer Richard Childress said in a statement. "D.J. was a gifted tire changer, one of the greatest team players in the business and a valued member of the RCR family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends."

"Anyone who knew D.J. realized that below the tough exterior was a caring father, friend and teammate," said Matt Clark, RCR's director of human performance and leadership development.