POCONO RACEWAY -- The racing community is in mourning after the death of IndyCar driver Justin Wilson.
Wilson was critically injured at Pocono Raceway Sunday and died Monday night at a hospital near Allentown.
News that Wilson died from a critical head injury suffered during Sunday’s race at Pocono has left many saddened, but people we spoke with who race those kinds of cars say it’s a risk every driver willingly takes.
Flags at Pocono Raceway are at half-staff, honoring IndyCar driver Justin Wilson.
On Sunday he was airlifted to Lehigh Valley Hospital with a serious head injury and remained in a coma until he died.
It all followed a crash at the track where Wilson was hit by debris from another car.
"This particular incident was an incident of fate. It had nothing to do with driver mistakes,” said Dennis Macchio.
Macchio runs Bertil Roos Racing School just down the road from Pocono Raceway. He teaches young drivers how to drive Indy-style cars safely.
"If you love and have a passion for doing something, which most racers do, you accept the fact that you could die doing it or be injured doing it and it's in our estimation worth the risk,” said Macchio.
On social media, IndyCar drivers and fans have poured out support for Wilson, his wife, and two girls.
Wilson’s brother tweeted his organs were donated, he saved six lives.
Some are wondering what this tragic accident could mean for the future of IndyCar racing at Pocono.
IndyCar returned to the track in 2012 for a three-year stint. After this final race, track officials put out this statement saying:
"We will continue to look at all aspects of our IndyCar weekend. This will determine whether or not it is a viable option to keep them at Pocono Raceway moving forward."
There’s been no indication when a decision will be made or if Wilson’s death will play a major role in that decision-making process.
Businesses near the track, including the Jubilee Restaurant, rely on race weekends and want to see IndyCar stay.
"They should, I really do. It's good for business again, anything that brings people up here, even for a couple of days, it's always good,” said Jubilee Restaurant floor manager Theresa Boyden.
Despite this recent crash, this is a track many people believe is putting safety and the community first.
“Earlier warnings for weather, I know they built the fences to protect the people in the grandstands, so just maybe just keep an eye on keeping everyone safer,” said Jubilee Restaurant manager Victoria Vangilder.
An autopsy on Justin Wilson is scheduled for Wednesday.
Track officials restricted access inside the raceway and declined to comment on camera out of respect for the Wilson family.