Veteran driver dies after crashing vehicle while racing at nearly 300 mph
Chris Raschke, 60, was treated by medical professionals, but died at the scene of the accident at the Bonneville Salt Flats, near Wendover, Utah, according to a press release by event organizes Southern California Timing Association.
'When you lose anybody in the community, it's always tough,' race director and SCTA board president Keith Pedersen told The Times on Tuesday. 'And somebody as well-liked and known as Chris, that makes it even tougher.'
In addition to being a 'very accomplished race car driver,' Pedersen said, Raschke was also 'very, very friendly, very competitive. But he's also the type of person that if you needed a part or something, he would give it to you and say, 'Yeah, just bring it back when you're done.''
According to Raschke's Speed Demon bio page, he was 'the first official employee at Ventura Raceway in the early 80's' and over the years became involved in practically all aspects of motor sports.
Also an employee of ARP Auto Parts, which makes fasteners and other products for race cars, Raschke worked as part of the Speed Demon crew for more than a decade before becoming a driver for the team.
At last year's Speed Week, Raschke topped out at 446 mph, which Pedersen said was the fastest measured mile at the event. This year, he was driving the latest iteration of his team's vehicle, the Speed Demon 3. Pederson confirmed that Raschke's last recorded speed during Sunday's race was 283 mph.
A Facebook post from the Speed Demon team account stated: 'At this time, we ask everyone to please respect Chris's family, friends, and the Speed Demon team. We are deeply devastated.'
The Tooele County Sheriff's Office is investigating Raschke's death, with assistance from the SCTA. Sgt. Dan Lerdahl told The Times that the crash is being viewed as an accident, although it is unclear at this point whether the cause was 'a roadway issue, a mechanical issue or just a freak thing.'
Racing was suspended following Rashke's crash but resumed Monday. Pedersen said canceling the event, which runs through Friday at the at the Bonneville Salt Flats, was never really a consideration.
'We've been doing Speed Week for 77 years, and over those years, there have been other fatalities out here. And it's always a tragedy,' Pedersen said. 'But we typically regroup. ... We grieve and we race. Chris would have wanted us to race, and we're continuing to do that.'
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