West German Race Car Driver Bellof Dies in Crash

West German driver Stefan Bellof was killed Sunday during a 1,000-kilometer World Auto Endurance Championship race when his Porsche caught fire after colliding with Belgian driver Jacky Ickx’s car, track officials said at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.

Bellof, 27, the 1984 world endurance champion and one of several Formula One drivers taking part in the endurance race, hit Ickx’s car as he tried to overtake the Belgian for the lead.

Bellof was teamed with Thierry Boutsen of Belgium, also a Formula One driver.

Ickx, a former world endurance champion and Formula One star, walked away from the wreckage, apparently suffering only a stiff neck.

Bellof was the second West German driver to die during an endurance race in the past month. Manfred Winkelhock was killed in an accident at Mosport, Canada, Aug. 11.