Indianapolis ? IRL driver Tony Renna was killed in a wreck Wednesday during testing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after he lost control at nearly 220 mph, went airborne and crashed into a fence.

The accident ended the promising career of the 26-year-old Renna, who joined the Indy Racing League as a substitute driver and moved up to major auto racing with an impressive performance in the Indianapolis 500.

Renna signed earlier this month with Target/Chip Ganassi Racing, one of the elite IRL teams, and he was making his first track appearance for Ganassi.

“Tony Renna was a rising star in Indy car racing. All of us involved in racing feel a great loss,” said Tony George, president of the speedway and the IRL.

Renna was the first IRL driver to die in a crash since Scott Brayton in 1996 at Indianapolis, and he was the 67th person fatally injured at the track since it opened in 1909. Greg Moore was the last open-wheel driver killed on a track, wrecking in CART’s season-ending race at California Speedway in 1999.

Renna was on his fourth lap when his G Force-Toyota crashed as he came out of the third turn. He was testing the same car that IRL series champion Scott Dixon drove the day before at up to 230 mph. Dixon also drives for Ganassi.

“We’re mourning the loss of our driver, friend and colleague,” car owner Chip Ganassi said in a statement.

Ganassi said Renna did not hit anything before he lost control, went airborne, cleared the wall and crashed into the catch fence during testing, which was closed to the public and news media.