Latest news with #SpeedWeek
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
A double hat and a Tbilisi monument: photos of the day
Cars are positioned in the staging area during the Southern California Timing Association's Speed Week on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The event has resumed after a driver was killed after losing control of his car during a speed-record attempt. Photograph: Brian Cahn/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock Tudor Lakatos, who goes by the stage name Elvis Rromano, gets ready for his performance with the Taraful Frunzelor band. Photograph: Vadim Ghirdă/AP People take part in a tribute to artist Frida Kahlo with 24 Mexican dancers and a 10-piece mariachi band to mark the launch of Billingham international folklore festival of world dance, which celebrating its 60th anniversary year. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA A stranded stray dog stands on the roof of a submerged house along the banks of the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh after heavy monsoon rains Photograph: Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP A western pygmy marmoset at an enclosure in the city's zoo. The pygmy marmoset ( Callithrix pygmaea ), which is found in the northwestern Amazon rainforest, is the world's smallest higher primate and can leap as far as five metres. Photograph: Slávek Růta/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock Stuffed toys are displayed below a balloon game at the Ventura county fair. The fair is held each August at Seaside Park and includes an agricultural show, carnival rides, food booths, and nightly concerts. Photograph: Allison Dinner/EPA Smoke rises from a wildfire in the Aude prefecture just north or the Spanish border. Almost 2,000 firefighters are tackling the fire, which tore through an area the size of Paris overnight. Photograph: Olivier Chassignole/AFP/Getty Images People visit the Chronicles of Georgia, a monument consisting of 16 massive columns on Keeni Hill. Designed by the Georgian-Russian artist Zurab Tsereteli, construction of the monument began in 1985. The upper sections of the columns depict kings, queens, and national heroes from Georgian history. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images A student takes part in a Hiroshima Day peace rally to mark the 80th anniversary of the nuclear bombing of the city. Photograph: Divyakant Solanki/EPA Rafael Lisboa of Portugal in action during a basketball match against Spain at the José María Martín Carpena sporting arena. Photograph: Joaquin Corchero/AFP7/Shutterstock Naghma al-Aidi, a four-year-old Palestinian girl is cuddled by her mother as they shelter in a tent at the Nuseirat refugee camp. Children and elderly people are the most vulnerable as Gaza famine deepens, experts warn as aid agencies and others report evidence of worsening starvation, particularly among the under-fives. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images A view of anti-drone nets installed over a road in the frontline town in the Donetsk region as the the US envoy Steve Witkoff and Vladimir Putin hold talks in Moscow Photograph: Oleksandr Ratushniak/Reuters A Karen elephant keeper plays with a calf at the Elephant Freedom Village. Karen elephant keepers work to preserve traditional hill tribe methods of human coexistence with animals. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images An officer of Penitentiary N13 looks outside as supporters of the banned pro-Russia Șor party stage a protest opposite the prison. On Tuesday, a Moldovan court sentenced the leader of the autonomous Gagauzia region, Evghenia Guțul, to seven years in prison for funnelling Russian funds to the party between 2019 and 2022 Photograph: Dumitru Doru/EPA The Glen Rosa, a car and passenger ferry, is inspected at a dry dock operated by the ship repair and maintenance company Dales Marine. Delivery of the vessel has been put back until next April to June, nearly eight years after it was originally due Photograph: Jane Barlow/PA A girl drinks water from a hand pump at in a district of Badakhshan province. Afghanistan, is facing its fourth drought in five years Photograph: AFP/Getty Images An person arrived for the Anne Sofie Madsen show during the city's fashion week Photograph:
CTV News
3 days ago
- Automotive
- CTV News
Driver Chris Raschke dies in crash at Speed Week on Bonneville Salt Flats
Driver Chris Raschke is seen preparing the Speed Demon, a land speed racing car, in this undated photo. (Speed Demon 715) A driver has died while taking part in the annual Speed Week event on Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, according to organizers. The Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), which hosts the land speed racing event, announced on Sunday that 60-year-old Chris Raschke died while attempting a speed record. 'At approximately 3:03 p.m. Mountain Time today, driver Chris Raschke, age 60, was attempting a speed record and lost control of his land speed vehicle at approximately the 2 1/2 mile,' said the statement shared by the SCTA. 'Chris was treated by medical professionals at the scene. Unfortunately, Chris passed away from his injuries. The cause of the incident is currently under investigation.' Raschke's Speed Demon team also shared the SCTA statement, writing: 'At this time, we ask everyone to please respect Chris's family, friends, and the Speed Demon team. We are deeply devastated.' CNN Sports has contacted the Tooele County Sheriff's Office regarding Raschke's death. Speed Demon lays claim to having created the world's fastest piston-powered car, and the long, bullet-shaped vehicle being driven by Raschke in Bonneville was the third iteration of the streamliner. At last year's Speed Week with Raschke as the driver, the Speed Demon team won a 12th Hot Rod Magazine Trophy, posting a winning mile-speed of 446.716 m.p.h. and an exit speed of 459.734 m.p.h. Bonneville, a dry lakebed on the border of Utah and Nevada, has long been an iconic location for land speed records, with Speed Week attracting around 500 hot rods, roadsters and motorcycles each year. By George Ramsay, CNN
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Los Angeles Times
Veteran driver dies after crashing vehicle while racing at nearly 300 mph
A veteran high-speed driver has died after losing control of his vehicle while driving at nearly 300 miles per hour Sunday during the 2025 Bonneville Speed Week event in northwestern Utah. 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.'
Toronto Sun
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Toronto Sun
Driver attempting to set land-speed record at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats dies
Chris Raschke was travelling at roughly 455 km/h when died after losing control of his rocket-like vehicle. Published Aug 05, 2025 • 3 minute read Cars form a line near the race track at the Bonneville Salt Flats near Wendover, Utah, Aug. 13, 2016. Photo by Rick Bowmer / AP 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. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account 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 160 kilometers 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.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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 kilometers) 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 10 km 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. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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 to set speed records, sometimes topping 644 km/h. Speed Week has long been a draw for motorcycle and car fans. 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 on Saturday and runs through Friday. Check out our sports section for the latest news and analysis. Care for a wager? Head to our sports betting section for news and odds. 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USA Today
4 days ago
- USA Today
Driver dies in 300 mph crash at Bonneville Salt Flats race
A driver at a land speed racing competition on Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats died while attempting to break a speed record, event organizers said. Chris Raschke, 60, was operating a land speed vehicle at around 3 p.m. local time on Sunday, Aug. 3 when he lost control and crashed about 2.5 miles into the race, the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) said in a release. He was treated by medical professionals but died from his injuries. The cause of the incident is under investigation, SCTA said. The accident occurred during SCTA's Speed Week event at the Bonneville Salt Flats, a 12-mile-long, 30,000-acre expanse of hard, white crust comprised mostly of table salt, according to the Bureau of Land Management. 'We are deeply devastated' Raschke was driving a land speed racing car known as the Speed Demon at the time of the crash, the American Hot Rod Association (AHRF) said in a social media statement. "To those who knew him on the salt, he was someone who found the perfect balance of friendly and competitive," AHRF said. "Never a usual combination and one that speaks to the quality of his character. We send our deepest sympathies to Chris's family and friends." The Speed Demon team acknowledged Raschke's death in a social media statement, asking "everyone to please respect Chris's family, friends, and the Speed Demon team." "We are deeply devastated," the statement said. According to the Speed Demon team's website, Raschke had a long career in motorsports before he began driving the streamliner. "His knowledge of the entire motorsports industry and its players is invaluable for the Speed Demon team," the team's website says. "He understands the fine details that help the Speed Demon team perform year after year." Driver may have been going around 300 mph before fatal crash AHRF said Raschke was traveling "somewhere in the neighborhood of 300mph" at the time of the crash. According to daily race logs from the SCTA, a vehicle entered under the Speed Demon team was recorded going up to 283 miles per hour before spinning on the track. USA TODAY reached out to the Tooele County Sheriff's Office for more information. Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at
