“We send our sincere condolences”: NASCAR team pen emotional note on Parker Retzlaff’s spotter Ron Lewis' 'heartbreaking' demise

NASCAR driver Parker Retzlaff's spotter Ron Lewis' death has sent shockwaves in the NASAR community. Retzlaff's team shared a post on their social media, offering their condolences to Ron Lewis' family for their heartbreaking loss.

Parker Retzlaff pilots the #31 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Jordan Anderson Racing, competing full-time in the Xfinity Series. The 21-year-old has secured 13 top-ten finishes in a career spanning three years in NASCAR's top divisions.

Retzlaff was also competing in the Cup Series part-time for Beard Motorsports, where the late Ron Lewis had been working as a spotter since 2017 for their #62 team, powered by Chevrolet. Besides Parker Retzlaff, Lewis also assumed the role of a spotter for Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson, and Austin Hill, playing a huge part in the success of their NASCAR careers.

Following his tragic passing, Beard Motorsports shared a heartfelt message in honor of Ron Lewis and expressed their condolences for his family via their X (formerly Twitter) handle:

"The Beard family and Beard Motorsports team are heartbroken over the passing of Ron Lewis. Ron has been with us since 2017. We have so many wonderful memories over the last eight years and we send our sincere condolences to his family. Rest easy, Ron."

Parker Retzlaff made his Cup Series debut in the 2024 Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway. His second Cup race came at the prestigious Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, where he achieved an impressive P7 finish under the guidance of Ron Lewis. However, Retzlaff got tangled in controversy after assisting Harrison Burton grab his first Cup race victory.

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Parker Retzlaff comments on controversial Daytona finish

Parker Retzlaff's strong performance in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in August was shadowed by his decision to push Harrison Burton off the finish line, instead of fellow Chevy driver and two-time Cup Series Champion Kyle Busch.

A win for Busch at Daytona would have sent him and the RCR Chevy into the playoffs. However, Harrison Burton's victory at Daytona was a historical one, as he joined his father, NASCAR veteran Jeff Burton in the list of father-son Cup race-winner duos.

In an episode of the Dirty Mo Media podcast on August 30, Retzlaff expressed his intentions with Chevy and outlined his personal beliefs, saying:

"If I could go back and change it I would have, you know, helped Chevy and all of them put a Chevy in the playoffs. But I also don't want to just give up for everybody who's supported me and just wanted to give them a good result. I don't know I hate being the person to cause all this, I guess drama and mess on Twitter, but I just once again did whatever I felt like was the best for the people who've supported me," Retzlaff said.

Meanwhile, Harrison Burton was eliminated from the 2024 playoffs after an underwhelming performance in the Round of 16.