Store owned by Craven destroyed in Sunday fire

Ricky Craven said he would rebuild the store that bears his name in Belfast, Maine after a fire Sunday morning gutted the building.

	Ricky Craven said his store in Maine will be rebuilt. Credit: Autostock

Ricky Craven Motorsports North, which sells motorcycles, snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles and racing memorabilia, caught fire early Sunday before local fire crews responded and put the blaze out.

Craven's sister and manager of the store, Lauri Matheson, told the Bangor Daily News that trophies and other memorabilia from Craven's racing career were destroyed.

Craven said in a statement Wednesday that he was thankful for "everyone for keeping us in their thoughts these past few days."

"I traveled to Maine on Monday to evaluate the damage and spend time with my family," Craven said. "My first concern was to make sure the employees of Ricky Craven Motorsports North were safe."

Craven was told about the fire before he started the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, and Craven went out and finished eighth. He said driving for PPI Motorsports is his first priority, but rebuilding the store is important, too.

"Our focus now is to make sure our customers are taken care of as we rebuild over the next several months," Craven said. "In spite of this setback, my top priority is to perform to the best of my ability in the Tide Pontiac.

"I always go back to something my wife, Kay, once said. 'Tough times don't last. Tough people do.' We'll move forward and rebuild, you can count on that."