NHRA star Scott Kalitta killed

[the chad]

Scott Kalitta dies in fiery crash
Racing series   NHRA OBITUARIES 
Date  2008-06-21

By Motorsport.com staff writers

Funny Car racer Scott Kalitta died Saturday, June 21, in Englishtown, New Jersey, when his Toyota Solara's engine blew while making a qualifying attempt at the Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, site of his first career race in 1982.

It is believed that Kalitta, age 46, lost consciousness before the end of the racing surface as the now-on-fire Toyota did not slow before hitting the sand-filled runoff area. Nor did the parachute deploy. The car continued through the runoff area before vaulting over the catch-fence in an explosion.

He was traveling at 300mph (estimated speed) at the time of the accident on the closed circuit in today's NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series final round of qualifying to set the first-round pairings in the 11th round of NHRA pro competition this year. On Friday, Kalitta was 15th fastest (5.009, 247.52mph) and was attempting to make a top run that would place him in the top 12, allowing him to make it to Sunday's final eliminations.

The son of Connie Kalitta, he followed his father footsteps as a competitive driver. His first win came in Houston in 1989 in Funny Car. Kalitta moved to Top Fuel and in 1993, won in Topeka before earning two NHRA Top Fuel championships with 11 event victories. He retired in 1997, came back briefly in 1999 before again taking a backseat in NHRA competition.

Kalitta's 2003 return was in Top Fuel where he remained before making the switch to Funny Car in 2006.

[the chad]

this is such sad news.

Scott was a regular visitor to Australia and until the recent Winternationals held the Aus Top Fuel national record @ 4.56 sec set in Sydney Dec 2006 at the USA vs AUS Top Fuel show.

He was a close friend of Aus drag racing icon and team owner Santo Rapisarda (who he drives for when in Aus)

 

i havent seen the footage yet and NHRA.com is soooo busy right now i cant get on but here is the youtube link. obviously it comes with the *WARNING* coz it could be pretty horrific footage? i dunno

[Everso Biggyballies]

Very sad indeed.  I dont really follow drag racing closely, but Scott Kalitta is one name I knew as being a long standing legend in the sport.  The Drag Strip is always going to be a dangerous place to be at 300mph, and any mishap is going to be a major one.  Its particularly sad when what appears to have been a mechanical failure has led to such a tragic loss.

Condolences to family and friends

RIP Scott Kalitta. 

[a152004]

Condolences to the Kalita family

Tears rolling down  my face as i type this.

R.I.P.  Scott

you will be missed but never forgotten

[Mad Maper 13]

RIP

[Muzza]

As has been said this is very sad news, the sport has lost a great racer and ambassador. My heart goes out to his family and friends.

[the chad]

EB said

"Its particularly sad when what appears to have been a mechanical failure has led to such a tragic loss."

its true EB but these engine blow ups or "detinations" as they are nicknamed are quite common in the nitro classes. Only problem is with the Funny Car you are enclosed and BEHIND the engine so when it goes you feel it.

I think the explosion at 300mph knocked Kalitta out because usually they can drive them through that.

A bit later I will put up some other examples of big detinations and how amazingly skilled and brave the guys/girls are when they can drive a mobil inferno to safety.

[Everso Biggyballies]

EB said

"Its particularly sad when what appears to have been a mechanical failure has led to such a tragic loss."

its true EB but these engine blow ups or "detinations" as they are nicknamed are quite common in the nitro classes. Only problem is with the Funny Car you are enclosed and BEHIND the engine so when it goes you feel it.

I think the explosion at 300mph knocked Kalitta out because usually they can drive them through that.

A bit later I will put up some other examples of big detinations and how amazingly skilled and brave the guys/girls are when they can drive a mobil inferno to safety.

Sounds to me like the teams / authorities should look at some form of automatic 'chute deployment or 'dead mans handle' in incidents where the car has a 'detonation'.  I have seen a few clips of them and I can fully understand that the blast or the possible debris could knock a driver out, basically any situation where the driver might be impaired enough to be unable to pull the chute lever or whatever they use.  At least had the 'chute deployed, even if the driver was unable to apply the brakes then in this case im sure there would have been sufficient retardation to at least have saved poor Scott's life.  Just a thought as an outsider to drag racing.

[the chad]

yeh i actually agree one hundred percent...

in fact i think a lot of safety in drag racing should be looked at by "outsiders" as to bring in a fresh look.

as i said earlier here are some great videos of drivers bringing their funny cars to a stop after a big detonation. really goes to show how important the 15 seconds of fire proof suit is.

tony pedragon at the winternats


robert hight massive bbq


del worsham massive crash in the sand 'coz he couldnt reach the 'chutes

[Mothers Worry]

 

So sorry to hear this...........

   RIP 

[Everso Biggyballies]

I read in one report that the chute actually failed to deploy despite being activated....  Also it indicated that he was not dead at the scene, rather he died at the hospital.  I suspect that might be a DOA, and was (like in Ital) where it is illegal to declare them dead at the scene..... im sure it might be for insurance purposes and the possible need for any death at the venue to be potentially blamed on the venue..... insufficient run off or wrong sand, all the things the lawyers come up with if they sniff a quid,

[bpratt]

I read in one report that the chute actually failed to deploy despite being activated....  Also it indicated that he was not dead at the scene, rather he died at the hospital.  I suspect that might be a DOA, and was (like in Ital) where it is illegal to declare them dead at the scene..... im sure it might be for insurance purposes and the possible need for any death at the venue to be potentially blamed on the venue..... insufficient run off or wrong sand, all the things the lawyers come up with if they sniff a quid,

Basically if there is a fatal incident, it involves a police investigation and as such it means no more racing. For some reason if the death occurs after the person has left the area, then it is different.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Sounds to me like the teams / authorities should look at some form of automatic 'chute deployment or 'dead mans handle' in incidents where the car has a 'detonation'.  I have seen a few clips of them and I can fully understand that the blast or the possible debris could knock a driver out, basically any situation where the driver might be impaired enough to be unable to pull the chute lever or whatever they use.

I see that some 'F1' involvement IS going to be used to assist with improving the alternatives as indicated in this from GP.com

F1 KNOWLEDGE TO HELP DRAG RACERS

The death of Scott Kalitta, one of the stars of the National Hot Rod Association's (NHRA) biggests stars a week ago at Englishtown, New Jersey, has called for changes in safety measures in the sport and the NHRA is now looking at ways to improve its safety with the specific aims being to stop engine explosions, find better ways to employ parachutes, develop brakes to more effectively stop the cars and to examine better run-off areas and catch nets.

[the chad]

well this is what they are doing first... bit knee jerk if u ask me 

NHRA shorten Top Fuel and Funny Car races to 1000ft
(3 qtr track)

from NHRA.com

As the investigation continues into the tragic accident that took the life of driver Scott Kalitta, NHRA has announced that beginning at the Mopar Mile High Nationals in Denver, Colo., both the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes will race to 1,000 feet instead of the traditional 1,320 feet or one-quarter mile. This is an interim step that is being taken while NHRA continues to analyze and determine whether changes should be made to build upon the sport's long standing safety record, given the inherent risks and ever-present dangers associated with the sport.

This interim change was made by NHRA in collaboration with professional race teams. NHRA believes that racing the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes to 1,000 feet will allow NHRA and the racing community time to evaluate, analyze and implement potential changes based on the safety initiatives outlined last week.

With the change, fans will still be able to enjoy the sights, sounds and thrill of NHRA nitro racing with speeds around 300 mph and quick elapsed times to 1,000 feet.

Over the years, NHRA has implemented many initiatives to enhance safety including measures to limit speeds from increasing, personal protective gear, vehicle improvements, and track enhancements such as sand traps, catch nets and concrete barriers the entire length of the drag strip.

In the wake of the tragic series of events that took Kalitta's life, the following technical issues are currently under investigation: 1) what might be done to reduce engine failures; 2) parachute mounting techniques and materials as well as identifying a parachute material that could be more fire resistant; 3) exploring whether there is a way to increase brake efficiency when cars lose downforce due to the loss of the body; 4) analyzing additional methods that might be developed at the top end of the race track to help arrest runaway vehicles; 5) considering whether current speeds should be further limited or reduced to potentially improve safety.

[bpratt]

well this is what they are doing first... bit knee jerk if u ask me 

NHRA shorten Top Fuel and Funny Car races to 1000ft
(3 qtr track)

from NHRA.com

As the investigation continues into the tragic accident that took the life of driver Scott Kalitta, NHRA has announced that beginning at the Mopar Mile High Nationals in Denver, Colo., both the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes will race to 1,000 feet instead of the traditional 1,320 feet or one-quarter mile. This is an interim step that is being taken while NHRA continues to analyze and determine whether changes should be made to build upon the sport's long standing safety record, given the inherent risks and ever-present dangers associated with the sport.

With the change, fans will still be able to enjoy the sights, sounds and thrill of NHRA nitro racing with speeds around 300 mph and quick elapsed times to 1,000 feet.

Let me just state that I reckon drag 'racing' is just a total wank.

However, I do find what they've now done is purely knee-jerk reaction. For someone like me the quarter mile deal is the traditional drag thing, and to reduce the length of the run quite substantially is going to stuff up the long held traditions of this sport.

The very first run down this shortened straight is now going to hold the track record, and all existing records on the 1/4 mile are going to stand forever.

Fact of life is that all forms of motorsport are dangerous, and if we stop pushing the envelope we're going to get nowhere.

This was a very unfortunate incident, where it appears the driver was rendered unconscious and was unable to do anything about it, in fact I really doubt chopping off 300 odd feet of track would've made any difference.

I really doubt Scott Kalitta would want to be remembered for shortening the drag strip, and that unfortunately is what will happening.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Agreed it is all knee-jerk

In circuit terms its the equivalent of Cockring saying that due to the increase in the price of petrol the Bathurst 1000Kms will this year be the Bathurst 700 kms......

[the chad]

haha true

its like running the 100 metre at the olympics to only 75 metres

[Mad Maper 13]

Just leve it alone

Yes people do die But that is life 

[the chad]

hmm yeh but you must understand the touchy nature of this subject.

Safety is paramount to drag racing. its the reason the NHRA was formed so to stop people being killed racing their hot rods.

what is more is that the drag racing community is very tight knit. more so than most forms of motorsport. A death really really shakes the foundations and so something had to be done.

Having said that when you are racing at 330mph things will go wrong eventually. 2 funny car drivers have died in the last 14 months.

Death has always been a part of motorsport, its a sad fact. and to seperate the 2 in drag racing maybe drastic measures must be made. They slowed F1 and rally cars to stop deaths and that worked?

[a152004]

Doubt very much that the times and speeds set during a 1000 foot pass would  create  track or national records  
They might create a  new section for it but not give points for creating a national  record

A  number of teams and drivers are in favour  of 1000 feet racing for Top Fuel and Funny Car  because they say a lot of the damage that is done to the engines and major explosions are  done after the 1000 feett mark. So that might  save some money for the teams there.  Think it was Jim Head  that said  something the other day that  once you get over 300mph it becomes real scary.  Hopefully  NHRA can solve the problems that they are facing with tracks that do not have a lot of run off and hopefully they can eliminate  concrete barriers at the end of the strip once and for all.

On the weekend  there was a Top Alcohol Funny Car driver by the name of Von Smith who was doing around 250 mph and his  chutes were late coming out and  he ran through the sand trap and onto the field of the neighbouring airport   and managed to avoid a tree before coming to a stop 600-700 feet  after the sand trap.  The tree which he  avoided was later cut down.

It may be a bit knee jerk  but at least they are being pro active in trying to make the sport safer
Worst thing they could do is sit back and let  nothing be done and wait for a team or someone to do  it for them.
If the sport can be made safer that is a good thing.  Like John Force said after his big accident last year.   Eric Medlen saved his life because of all the new safety  gear that they had put in the car after  Eric's crash