We have some very sad news to report today, and there is no easy way to put it. After a long battle with skin cancer, Paul Brown, race car driver and son of legendary Mustang tuner Kenny Brown, succumbed to his sickness over the weekend.

Paul Brown, who we interviewed earlier this year, comes from a racing family. Brown got started at a young age back in 1992, and between 1993 and 2000, Brown would race in 41 competitions before meeting his future wife, Carol Hollfelder. Brown took a few years off of the racing circuit before returning to the racing world for a few starts in the 2008-2009 World Challenge series.

2011 was Paul Brown’s biggest year, earning his first pole position in the opening race of the season and going on to claim four first-place finishes. This enabled Brown to take home the 2011 World Challenge Series driver’s championship in the Tiger Racing Boss 302S Mustang, an amazing accomplishment for any racer after such a long hiatus.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t long after Brown won the championship that he was diagnosed with skin cancer. This prevented Brown from returning for the 2012 World Challenge Series opener, though he did manage to get into the driver’s seat one final time this summer. He finished in the top 10 in both races that weekend, including a 3rd place finish, and Brown appeared to be mounting a comeback after it was revealed that he was battling cancer. But things took a rapid turn for the worst last month.

Paul was just 43 years old, and is survived by his wife Carol Hollfelder and his parents, Kenny a fellow race car driver. Our hearts and thoughts go out to Paul Brown and his entire family. Paul was a true champion in every sense of the world, and he will be missed by his team and fellow competitors alike.