23-07-2025
Drag racer's parachute may have contributed to fatal crash — coroner
A Christchurch drag racer died after losing control at almost 250km/h and crashing into a concrete wall at Ruapuna Raceway, but the car's parachute and harness may have contributed to his death.
Licensed drag racer Craig Douglas Smith died after crashing his Ford Cortina race car during a practice run in 2021.
In findings released on Wednesday morning, Coroner Mary-Anne Borrowdale said the 54-year-old was a highly experienced racer, who had been involved in the sport for 28 years.
Smith raced a 1967 blue Ford Cortina sedan with a turbocharged 302 Windsor Ford V8 engine, with a three-speed C4 automatic transmission and a Ford nine-inch differential.
He loved the vehicle and worked on it with his brother Shane, the coroner's report said.
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Craig Smith's Ford Cortina drag racer. (Source: Givealittle)
On the day of the crash in October 2021, Smith had lined up at 10.30am for his first run of the day in good weather conditions in light winds with occasional slightly stronger gusts.
He was racing alone against monitored speeds, rather than other racers.
His brother Shane told the coroner Smith got a good clean and quick start, and crossed the finish line in 9.059 seconds — his best ever time.
His previous best over a quarter mile was 9.13 seconds.
Smith deployed his parachute cleanly but, within moments, the Cortina veered to the left, crossed the grass verge and crashed into a concrete wall barrier.
At the time of the crash, the vehicle was doing 249 km/h.
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Smith was found trapped in the driving cabin, still in his racing harness with severe injuries and no pulse. Despite attempts to resuscitate him, he could not be revived.
Evidence from the Low Volume Vehicle Technical Association showed the vehicle's parachute was attached lower than usual, but there was no specific requirement for where it should be attached at the time.
The positioning of the parachute, combined with cross winds might have contributed to the loss of control, the association said.
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It also said Smith's crotch strap, as part of the five-point racing harness, was not routed according to the recommendations, but it was within regulations at the time.
His seat did not have a slot for the crotch strap to pass through, so he instead routed it across the front of his seat — a use described by the association as potentially unsafe.
The association said "numerous crashes with similar or worse severity have occurred in drag racing over many years and it is the firm view of LVVTA that this crash should have been survivable".
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Coroner Borrowdale said the New Zealand Drag Racing Association had already made several changes, including specifying where parachutes should be positioned and seats that could be used.
No autopsy was conducted, at the request of the family, so the coroner could not determine if a medical condition was a factor in the crash, but she thought it was improbable.
Motor racing was a dangerous sport, although drag racing in New Zealand did not have a poor record for fatalities, Borrowdale said.
"Mr Smith understood this and accepted the risks that racing involved. It is very sad that in this case the risks manifested as they did and cost Mr Smith his life."
