Mike Stefanik, one of the most successful modified stock car drivers in NASCAR history, died in a plane crash in Connecticut on Sunday, the authorities said.

Mr. Stefanik, 61, was piloting a single-engine ultralight aircraft when it crashed in a field near the border of Connecticut and Rhode Island, the authorities said. He was conscious when emergency responders arrived at the crash site, but he died at a hospital in Rhode Island, the authorities said. He was the only person on the plane.

“Mike Stefanik was one of the most successful drivers in NASCAR history. But even more so, he was a true representative of our sport,” Jim France, the chief executive of NASCAR, said in a statement. “His tough, competitive nature and excellence on the racetrack won him the respect and admiration of fans and competitors alike.”

Mr. France noted that Mr. Stefanik’s racing career had lasted more than 30 years, and that he had served as a bridge between generations of older drivers like Jerry Cook and Richie Evans “to our current drivers.”