Latest news with #Speed Demon
National Post
6 days ago
- Automotive
- National Post
Driver attempting to set land-speed record at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats dies
Article content A driver going 455 km/h trying to set a land speed record during a racing event at Utah's famed Bonneville Salt Flats died Sunday after he lost control of his rocket-like vehicle called the Speed Demon, organizers said. Article content Driver Chris Raschke lost control about two and a half miles into a run and was treated by medical professionals at the scene, but died from his injuries, according to the Southern California Timing Association, which has organized the popular land-speed racing event known as 'Speed Week' since the late 1940s. Article content Article content Article content For decades, the flat, glasslike white surface has drawn drivers from all over seeking to set new land speed world records and motorcycle and car fans to watch. A remnant of a prehistoric lakebed, the salt flats that are about 160 kilometers west of Salt Lake City have also been a backdrop for movies like Independence Day and The World's Fastest Indian. Article content 'Motorsports is inherently a dangerous sport,' said Dennis Sullivan, a car builder and racer who set a land speed record in his 1927 Model T street roadster and serves as president of the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association. 'People get hurt. People get killed. That's just the nature of the sport. It doesn't happen a lot.' Article content Sullivan said motor sports also have stringent safety requirements — such as stronger roll bars, special tires and more fire extinguishers — that help protect drivers. Article content The last racing death Sullivan recalled at the flats came in 2016 when Sam Wheeler, a renowned land speed motorcycle racer, crashed at 200 mph (321 kilometers) when the high-performance bike he was testing fish-tailed and went airborne. Article content Article content The Bonneville Salt Flats, which had its first race in 1914, have about 10 km for racing and an aquifer underneath that cools the tires of the cars. Article content It's unlike other race venues in that it doesn't have stands. Spectators must stand two-tenths of a mile away from the cars. Raschke lost control of the vehicle about two and a half miles into a run. Article content It's unknown what speed Raschke was aiming to reach. The association and the Tooele County Sheriff's Office are investigating the death, said Sgt. Dane Lerdahl, a spokesman for the law enforcement agency. Article content 'We know it was an accident of some sort,' Lerdahl said. Article content For decades, people have used the flat, glasslike surface at Bonneville Salt Flats to set speed records, sometimes topping 644 km/h. Speed Week has long been a draw for motorcycle and car fans. Article content Raschke, 60, was the driver of a streamliner — a long, narrow, aerodynamic car made to run at high speeds — known as the Speed Demon. He had worked in motor sports for more than four decades.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Speed driver Chris Raschke dies attempting to set the land speed record during Utah racing event
A speed driver died while trying to break a record during the Bonneville Speed Week event in Utah on Sunday. Chris Raschke, 60, was driving at 283 miles per hour while trying to set a land speed record at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats. Unfortunately, he lost control of his vehicle two and a half miles into his run, which led to his passing, according to reports. Medical staff quickly acted on the scene before Raschke succumbed to his injuries. In a statement from the Southern California Timing Association, they revealed that the cause of the incident was still under investigation. "At approximately 3:03 p.m. Mountain Time today, driver Chris Raschke was attempting a speed record and lost control of his land speed vehicle at approximately the 2 1/2 mile," The SCTA stated. "Chris was treated by medical professionals at the scene. Unfortunately, Chris passed away from his injuries." Raschke was part of the Speed Demon team out of Ventura, California and drove the Speed Demon Streamliner — a long, narrow, aerodynamic vehicle made to run at high speeds. According to the team website, he began working in motorsports in the 1980s and has been with the Speed Demon team for 13 years. "At this time, we ask everyone to please respect Chris's family, friends, and the Speed Demon team. We are deeply devastated," the team said in a statement. Aside from the Speed Demon team, the American Hot Rod Foundation also mourned Raschke's death. "To those who knew him on the salt, he was someone who found the perfect balance of friendly and competitive. Never a usual combination and one that speaks to the quality of his character," the association stated. "We send our deepest sympathies to Chris's family and friends." The Southern California Timing Association reported that 18 records were set in a total of 261 runs on Sunday. Seven of the records were achieved by cars and 11 were by motorcycles. Speed Week race director Keith Pedersen said Raschke's death was a huge blow to the community. "It's much more of a camaraderie and community, and that builds a lot of friendships and trust," Pedersen told KUTV. "He's a big part of it, and he will be sorely missed." Speed Week will continue at the Bonneville Salt Flats through Friday, August 8.
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Automotive
- The Guardian
Driver trying to set speed record at Utah salt flats race dies after losing control
A driver going 283 mph (455 km/h) trying to set a land speed record during a racing event at Utah's famed Bonneville Salt Flats died Sunday after he lost control of his rocket-like vehicle called the Speed Demon, organizers said. Driver Chris Raschke lost control about two and a half miles into a run and was treated by medical professionals at the scene, but died from his injuries, according to the Southern California Timing Association, which has organized the popular land-speed racing event known as Speed Week since the late 1940s. For decades, the flat, glasslike white surface has drawn drivers from all over seeking to set new land speed world records and motorcycle and car fans to watch. A remnant of a prehistoric lakebed, the salt flats that are about 100 miles (160km) west of Salt Lake City have also been a backdrop for movies like Independence Day and The World's Fastest Indian. 'Motorsports is inherently a dangerous sport,' said Dennis Sullivan, a car builder and racer who set a land speed record in his 1927 Model T street roadster and serves as president of the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association. 'People get hurt. People get killed. That's just the nature of the sport. It doesn't happen a lot.' Sullivan said motor sports also have stringent safety requirements – such as stronger roll bars, special tires and more fire extinguishers – that help protect drivers. The last racing death Sullivan recalled at the flats came in 2016 when Sam Wheeler, a renowned land speed motorcycle racer, crashed at 200 mph (321 km/h) when the high-performance bike he was testing fish-tailed and went airborne. The Bonneville Salt Flats, which had its first race in 1914, have about 7 miles (11km) for racing and an aquifer underneath that cools the tires of the cars. It's unlike other race venues in that it doesn't have stands. Spectators must stand two-tenths of a mile away from the cars. Raschke lost control of the vehicle about two and a half miles into a run. It's unknown what speed Raschke was aiming to reach. The association and the Tooele county sheriff's office are investigating the death, said Sgt Dane Lerdahl, a spokesperson for the law enforcement agency. 'We know it was an accident of some sort,' Lerdahl said. Raschke, 60, was the driver of a streamliner – a long, narrow, aerodynamic car made to run at high speeds – known as the Speed Demon. He had worked in motor sports for more than four decades. According to the Speed Demon racing team's site, Raschke worked at the Ventura Raceway in the early 1980s, raced three-wheelers and cars in the mini stock division, learned to fabricate and maintain race cars when working with an acclaimed engine builder and later became a driver for the Speed Demon team. Keith Pedersen, the association's president and Speed Week race director, said Raschke was a respected driver within the racing community and also worked for a company that makes fasteners for race cars. 'He is one of the big ones. He had done all sorts of racing,' Pedersen said. The Race Week event began Saturday and runs through Friday.
CBS News
6 days ago
- Automotive
- CBS News
Driver Chris Raschke killed in crash while trying to set speed record at Utah's famed Bonneville Salt Flats
A driver going 283 mph trying to set a land speed record during a racing event at Utah's famed Bonneville Salt Flats died Sunday after he lost control of his rocket-like vehicle called the Speed Demon, organizers said. Driver Chris Raschke lost control about two and a half miles into a run and was treated by medical professionals at the scene, but died from his injuries, according to a statement from the Southern California Timing Association, which has organized the popular land-speed racing event known as "Speed Week" since the late 1940s. For decades, the flat, glasslike white surface has drawn drivers from all over seeking to set new land speed world records and motorcycle and car fans to watch. A remnant of a prehistoric lakebed, the salt flats that are about 100 miles west of Salt Lake City have also been a backdrop for movies like "Independence Day" and "The World's Fastest Indian." "Motorsports is inherently a dangerous sport," said Dennis Sullivan, a car builder and racer who set a land speed record in his 1927 Model T street roadster and serves as president of the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association. "People get hurt. People get killed. That's just the nature of the sport. It doesn't happen a lot." Sullivan said motor sports also have stringent safety requirements - such as stronger roll bars, special tires and more fire extinguishers - that help protect drivers. The last racing death Sullivan recalled at the flats came in 2016 when Sam Wheeler, a renowned land speed motorcycle racer, crashed at 200 mph when the high-performance bike he was testing fish-tailed and went airborne. The Bonneville Salt Flats, which had its first race in 1914, have about 7 miles for racing and an aquifer underneath that cools the tires of the cars. It's unlike other race venues in that it doesn't have stands. Spectators must stand two-tenths of a mile away from the cars. Raschke lost control of the vehicle about two and a half miles into a run. It's unknown what speed Raschke was aiming to reach. The association and the Tooele County Sheriff's Office are investigating the death, said Sgt. Dane Lerdahl, a spokesman for the law enforcement agency. "We know it was an accident of some sort," Lerdahl said. For decades, people have used the flat, glasslike surface at Bonneville Salt Flats, 100 miles west of Salt Lake City, to set speed records, sometimes topping 400 mph. Speed Week has long been a draw for motorcycle and car fans. According to the Southern California Timing Association, 18 records were set on Sunday morning, 7 by cars and 11 by motorcycles during a total of 261 runs. Raschke, 60, was the driver of a streamliner - a long, narrow, aerodynamic car made to run at high speeds - known as the Speed Demon. He had worked in motor sports for more than four decades. Keith Pedersen, the association's president and Speed Week race director, said Raschke's death was a major loss for the racing community, CBS affiliate KUTV reported. "It's much more of a camaraderie and community, and that builds a lot of friendships and trust," Pedersen told the station. "He's a big part of it, and he will be sorely missed." According to the Speed Demon racing team's site, Raschke worked at the Ventura Raceway in the early 1980s, raced 3-wheelers and cars in the mini stock division, learned to fabricate and maintain race cars when working with an acclaimed engine builder and later became a driver for the Speed Demon team. Pedersen said Raschke was a respected driver within the racing community and also worked for a company that makes fasteners for race cars. "He is one of the big ones. He had done all sorts of racing," Pedersen said. The Race Week event began on Saturday and runs through Friday.
Yahoo
04-08-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Bonneville Salt Flats Racer Dies During Record-Setting Attempt in World's Fastest Piston-Powered Car
A 60-year-old veteran of the land speed record community was killed while attempting a speed record run during a Bonneville Speed Week event at the Bonneville Salt Flats on Sunday, August 3, 2025, according to the Southern California Timing Association, which organized the event. An official press release from the organizers posted to Facebook states that Chris Raschke was attempting a speed record when he lost control of his land speed vehicle around two and a half miles into the run. Raschke was treated by medical professionals at the scene but ultimately succumbed to his injuries. Event officials say the cause of the incident remains under investigation. Reporting from Hot Rod indicates that the vehicle Raschke was driving went airborne prior to the crash. Raschke was behind the wheel of the "Speed Demon," a purpose-built land speed vehicle that has dominated the high-velocity scene in recent years, setting more SCTA class records and FIA International speed records than any other vehicle in the sport's history. The first Speed Demon was built in 2010 and was powered by a Kenny Duttweiler Hellfire V-8 engine, achieving 426 mph in 2011 and 439 mph in 2012. The second iteration of the Speed Demon made its biggest mark in 2020, when the 3155-hp rocket managed a 470-mph record run with thrust from a 557 cubic-inch twin-turbo V-8, and the third iteration made its official debut earlier this week at Bonneville Speed Week. Originally conceived by George Poteet, the Speed Demon was vying to be the first piston-driven vehicle to hit the 500 mph mark, and Raschke was nominated to be its pilot after Poteet's death in 2024. "At this time, we ask everyone to please respect Chris's family, friends, and the Speed Demon team. We are deeply devastated," a statement from Speed Demon 715 team reads. A resident of Ventura, California, motorsports was a principle part of Raschke's life. He spent 13 years working with the Speed Demon team, 29 years as the Director of Sales and Marketing at engine parts manufacturer ARP, and was the first official employee of Ventura Raceway. News of his death spread quickly among the motorsports world on Monday morning, with colleagues and friends remembering Raschke as a pillar of the land speed and aftermarket parts community. "Chris Raschke was admirable in all the best and truest senses of the word. He was a pillar of an industry, he was a skilled operator of one of the fastest wheel driven cars in history, and he was, like so many of us, fully consumed with cars and the universe around them. As I reflected on his passing yesterday at Bonneville, I kept coming back to admiration as my overriding feeling about who he was, how he handled himself in business, and how he was forever willing to entertain questions and discussions on racing, fasteners, and other worldly topics," Brian Lohnes, lead broadcaster for NHRA on Fox, wrote in a memorializing Facebook post. "There are some people who gain notoriety in any industry by being the loudest and biggest person in the room. Chris was not that man. His actions, the pursuit of his passions, and the fact that everyone who knew the guy knew that he carried a love of all things with round wheels and loud engines cemented his place as a true leader by example in the aftermarket." Racing was suspended around 4 p.m. Pacific time yesterday following the crash. A Facebook post from the Southern California Timing Association indicates that Bonneville Speed Week will resume today, August 4. This is a developing story and we will be sure to update it as we learn more, but we extend our sincerest condolences to the Raschke family and his colleagues at Speed Demon and ARP. You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car
