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Lower Nazareth Township man died "doing what he loved to do" - UPDATE
After an initial test run, no one could have expected Lamont Akins' day on the drag strip would end tragically, according to his best friend.

"He made the second pass and something happened to the car," said Easton resident Darrin Robinson. "He ended up rolling it."

Akins, 48, of Lower Nazareth Township, died today in a racecar crash at the Maryland International Raceway, according to his widow.

Lori Akins went to the track after receiving word of the 12:20 p.m. crash. She was on her way back to the Lehigh Valley at 8:30 p.m. this evening.

The cause of death remains uncertain, she said.

"I don't know what happened," she said. "They're doing an autopsy."

The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office had no immediate information on the incident. Nor did representatives at the racetrack in Mechanicsville, Maryland, who directed questions to a manager reporting to work Tuesday morning.

Robinson said Akins was at the racetrack for a "grudge" race. Also known as a match race, it involves drivers who challenge each other for cash or even pink slips to the cars.

Robinson said he raced cars with Akins since they were teenagers. They attended Plainfield High School together in northern New Jersey and met in ninth grade on a race track, he said.

Akins worked during the day as a mechanic at VIP Honda in North Plainfield, N.J., where he started fresh out of high school, Robinson said. But he pursued his passion on area drag strips during his free time.

"He was one of the beasts," Robinson said. "He was one of the most feared racers out there."

That said, Akins was also known for his big heart.

"It was just Lamont's personality. He treated everyone great. He never had any foul words for anybody," Robinson said.

Another friend, Charles Wynn, also of Easton, said if you found yourself in a jam at 3 a.m., you could call on Akins to bail you out.

"You could say, 'I know you put in 14 hours, but can you come over here? My car won't start,' and he'll come right over," Wynn said. "He's just one of those kind of guys you can count on being there."

Robinson participated in highway races with Akins as a youth. They drifted to drag strips as they got older.

"We've been on every track across the eastern part of the United States," Robinson said.

Robinson said Akins' hobby was lucrative. Through sheer force of will he was able to work his way out of poverty into his beautiful Lower Nazareth Township home, Robinson said.

Lori Akins said the family splits time in Lower Nazareth and at her mother's home in Greenwich Township.

Akins leaves behind a stepson, Thomas Rollins, who will graduate next month from Nazareth Area High School.

"He was a hardworking, dedicated man," Robinson said. "He died doing what he loved to do."

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