Scott Kalitta Fatal Crash 6/21/08

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bull66ett
Mon, 06/23/2008 - 5:21pm god speed scott

warrensh
Sun, 06/22/2008 - 5:12pm R.I.P. Scott Kalitta NEW JERSEY: Two-time American drag racing champion Scott Kalitta died on Saturday when his "funny car" burst into flames and crashed during the final round of qualifying for the Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals. The National Hot Rod Association, the leading governing body for drag racing in North America, said on its website that Kalitta, who had 18 career victories, was killed at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. Witnesses told The Star-Ledger that Kalitta's Toyota Solara was travelling at an estimated speed of 480kmh when the car, which was leading the race, burst into flames, continued to the end of the track, struck a barrier and exploded. Kalitta was taken to Old Bridge Township Hospital, where he was pronounced dead from multiple injuries. He started his career at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in 1982. His father, Connie Kalitta, was one of the pioneers in American drag racing and a team owner. His cousin, Doug Kalitta, also drives competitively. "Scott was a terrific driver and, perhaps more importantly, a better person and a great father to his two kids," the NHRA said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Kathy, sons Corey and Colin, his cousin Doug, and his father Connie. "He will be truly missed." Drag racing is a match race between two cars along a 400-metre straight from a standing start. The two premier divisions, Top Fuel and Funny Car, run on nitromethane fuel, enabling the cars to generate 8000 horsepower and cover the distance in under five seconds, regularly reaching speeds of over 530kmh. Funny cars vaguely resemble street cars and their name is derived from early versions in the mid-1960s, when the rear wheels were moved forward on the chassis to improve weight transfer under acceleration and increase traction on the rear tires - making them look "funny". Last year, funny car driver Eric Medlen, 33, died after an accident in a testing session in Florida. This news hits the Australian drag racing fraternity very hard, as Kallita had competed in Australia. He raced a top fuel dragster at Western Sydney International Dragway during the 2006 and 2007 USA Boxing Day Top Fuel Invasion events, winning on both occasions. His qualifying time of 4.517 seconds, topping 535.62kmh last year at WSID, set Australian records for speed and time in a one-off run, and the top-speed mark still stands as the national record in ANDRA Championship Drag Racing. "The news of Scott's passing has shaken me up as much as any tragedy has," said Jim Read, chairman of the Western Sydney International Dragway board. "Scott, like his father Connie and his cousin Doug, is passionate about drag racing. As everyone knows, we had Scott and a lot of the Kalitta team here in Sydney, and we got to know Scott's wife and kids. I really struggle to find the words to say how devastated I feel about this news."

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