Tragedy in the fast lane

AndyMarquisLIVE

AndyMarquisLIVE

New Member
Tragedy at Englishtown

There has been a serious accident in NHRA funny car qualifying at Englishtown. While trying to qualify into the event, Scott Kalitta's nitro funny car exploded into a ball of fire, and he has been transported to a nearby New Jersey hospital. RacingForTheWin.com has heard from sources at East Coast Drag News that Scott Kalitta suffocated and died. Scott Kalitta was 46. The Associated Press has now confirmed this.

Scott Kalitta was born on February 18, 1962 in Snead Island, Florida. He was the son of legendary NHRA crew chief and racer Connie Kalitta and the cousin of teammate Doug Kallita. Scott began his long racing career in the 1980s at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, and scored his first NHRA win at Houston in the Funny Car class. He then made the move to top fuel, and found success there as well, collecting his first career win there in Topeka in 1993. That career came to an end at the same track it began.

Scott Kalitta was the 1994 and 1995 NHRA Top Fuel dragster champion, and finished 2nd in the 1996 season points. In 1997, he announced his retirement. However, Kalitta would return to racing just two years later, but it would be quickly aborted. Kalitta returned to Top Fuel dragster in 2003, and recorded a top five points finish in 2004. Scott would answer again, the fllowing season, with two victories.
 
AndyMarquisLIVE

AndyMarquisLIVE

New Member
Here is video of the accident.

WARNING: THIS WAS A FATAL CRASH, AND IS VERY GRAPHIC. YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO CLICK THE PLAY BUTTON.

 
AndyMarquisLIVE

AndyMarquisLIVE

New Member
camily said:
Thanks for posting that. I was looking for it. I know that sounds morbid but I guess it's human nature.
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No.

This is morbid.

I'll tell you what I saw that I did not like. The sand pit/stop zone at the end of the track was VERY small, no way it can stop a 300+ mph dragster (as witnessed here). All they have down there to stop an errand racecar is a cachfence and a concrete barrier. Absolutely unacceptable for any dragstrip.

I'm sure there will be changes to the stop zones now, but it's too little too late.
 
Baja28

Baja28

Obama destroyed America
AndyMarquisLIVE said:
No.

This is morbid.

I'll tell you what I saw that I did not like. The sand pit/stop zone at the end of the track was VERY small, no way it can stop a 300+ mph dragster (as witnessed here). All they have down there to stop an errand racecar is a cachfence and a concrete barrier. Absolutely unacceptable for any dragstrip.

I'm sure there will be changes to the stop zones now, but it's too little too late.
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No different than MIR. Runs straight into a concrete barrier.
 
Larry Gude

Larry Gude

Strung Out
Holy...

...####ING HELL!!!!! That was NASTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :jameo:

RIP, Kalitta.

That is absolutely insane that all there is to stop them if something goes wrong is a freaking wall.
 
AndyMarquisLIVE

AndyMarquisLIVE

New Member
Baja28 said:
No different than MIR. Runs straight into a concrete barrier.
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Wrong.

MIR does have a sand pit, and its at least twice as big as Old Bridge Township Raceway Park's pitiful sandpit. And, I do believe they had foam barriers up for the IHRA race.

I can't blame Old Bridge Township for this, because it sounds to me like, from what I've been told, he might've been dead before the impact. That, of course, conflicts with what ESPN is reporting. We'll have to wait for the autopsy.

That is unacceptable for cars that are going much faster than 300 mph.
 
Larry Gude

Larry Gude

Strung Out
Well...

AndyMarquisLIVE said:
I can't blame Old Bridge Township for this, because it sounds to me like, from what I've been told, he might've been dead before the impact. That, of course, conflicts with what ESPN is reporting. We'll have to wait for the autopsy.

That is unacceptable for cars that are going much faster than 300 mph.
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...it was either the explosion or the the impact killed him. No way he suffocates in 6-8 seconds. That has got to be the worst sport racing crash, ever. By far. That was HORRIBLE.
 
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