Two years ago, Street Stock driver Brad Lewis prepared for his race as a new DWR driver. But just two days before the big day, he faced some engine troubles during practice. He went into the garage to pull the motor, only to realize he did not have a torque wrench. Without realizing it was past midnight, he called fellow driver Robbie Brewer for help. During an interview, he remembered, “In true Robbie fashion, he got out of the bed and helped us finish it.” The next day, Lewis won that race and still remembers it as one of his best races ever because of everyone involved in it. And that was Brewer for you.

Spending time with race cars in his shop, he was also slowly paving his way in the stock racing world. Nephew of former stock car racing crew chief Tim Brewer, he was still considered an ‘underdog’. But he removed the tag from his name, winning his first Bowman Gray Stadium championship in 2011. He knew it was a big deal for him. He was backed by a lot less money than most top teams, but had a will to win. Still, he was already on his next goal of “possibly buying a modified for next year. I just want to try something different.”

Different, he did try. On Saturday evening, he entered the Bowman Gray Stadium once again to race in the Sportsman Series as a veteran in the field. However, while he has had some memorable ‘fistfights’ before on this racetrack, things did not work out his way this time. 

In turn 4, after a restart at lap 16 of the first of two races for the division, No. 7 got hit by another car and crashed head-first into the wall. The collision, although, did not look as bad, the safety crew had to peel back the roof to remove him safely. He was quickly moved to a stretcher and taken to a nearby hospital in an ambulance. For hours, his condition was officially unknown. However, the latest developments state that he has passed away.

While no reason has been released as of yet for the death, some reports speculate a possibility of a heart attack in the collision. His immediate family members are also not known yet. But hearing the news, his sister, Michelle Moseley, posted her last conversation with Brewer in a touching post: “A call tonight I didn’t expect. My ❤ is broken. We had a deep brother sister talk last week. Agreed to disagree on alot as always & ended the conversation with our usual love ya! He went out doing what he loved & that’s the best way to try & make this make sense.”

His friends, too, remembered his passion for cars and being a genuine human around them. Alan Frye wrote, “Rest in peace Robbie Brewer. Always loved poppin in when you were in the shop and just hanging out and working on a race car. Thank you for always being welcoming and just a genuine great person to be around. The world lost a good one tonight. Fly high bud and look over the rest of us.”

Stephen Myers, another friend, stated, “R.I.P. Robbie Brewer! You were hell of a wheelman. You were an awesome person and friend to be around and you truly will be missed.”

With investigations underway and an outpouring of grief from the Bowman Gray community, Brewer’s legacy will be honored in the weeks to come, highlighting both the camaraderie of grassroots racing and the ever-present peril embraced by those who dare to chase checkered flags.