Rick Treadway, who started the 2002 Indianapolis 500, died May 30 in a motorcycle accident. He was 56. (Photo courtesy of the NTT IndyCar Series)

Courtesy of the NTT IndyCar Series

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana native Rick Treadway, who raced in the 2002 Indianapolis 500, died on Saturday, May 30, 2026 in a motorcycle accident. Mr. Treadway was 56.

The son of 1997 Indianapolis 500-winning team-owner Fred Treadway, Rick started 17th and placed 29th as a rookie in the No. 5 Sprint/Kyocera Wireless/Airlink Enterprises G Force/Chevrolet fielded by his father’s team. Rick Treadway competed at the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway as teammate to two-time Indy 500 champion Arie Luyendyk.

A native of Holland, pole-sitter Luyendyk drove Fred Treadway’s No. 5 Wavephore/Sprint PCS/Miller Lite/Provimi G Force/Oldsmobile Aurora to victory by 0.570-seconds over native Canadian Scott Goodyear in the race’s 81^st edition under sanction of the Indy Racing League on May 27, 1997.

Rick Treadway and fellow-rookie Tony Kanaan, driver of the No. 17 Hollywood Mo Nunn Racing G Force/Chevrolet, were eliminated from “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in a Turn 3 accident on Lap 90 of the scheduled 200.

Native Brazilian Helio Castroneves of Team Penske scored his second consecutive Indy 500 victory in the race’s 86^th edition on May 26, 2002. Treadway was among nine rookies competing that day in a class that included future event champions Kanaan, of Brazil, and Dario Franchitti of Scotland.

His Indy 500 start was the highlight of Rick Treadway’s INDYCAR career, which consisted of 11 races in the 2001 and 2002 seasons for his father’s teams – Treadway-Hubbard Racing and Treadway Racing.

Rick Treadway made his INDYCAR debut in 2001 at the 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Ky., and his last start in 2002 during the season-finale at the 1.5-mileTexas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. His best finish was fifth in the 2001 season-finale at TMS.

Before competing in INDYCAR, Treadway drove in Formula 2000 junior formula racing and various short-track open-wheel series, including the U.S. Auto Club’s Silver Crown and National Midget ranks. He also raced in Sports Car Club of America events.

A graduate of Indiana State University, Treadway worked in business development and as a commercial pilot for his charter air service. He also served as a Federal Aviation Administration-certified flight instructor.