According to organizers, a driver lost control of his car during a racing event at Utah’s renowned Bonneville Salt Flats on Sunday while attempting to set a speed record.
Despite receiving on-scene medical attention, driver Chris Raschke passed away from his wounds, according to the Southern California Timing Association, which runs the well-known land-speed racing competition known as Speed Week.
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Approximately two and a half miles into a run, Raschke lost control of the car. The death is being investigated, according to the association.
Bonneville Salt Flats, located 100 miles west of Salt Lake City, has a flat, glass-like surface that has been utilized for decades to achieve speed records, occasionally reaching 400 mph. Fans of cars and motorcycles have long been drawn to Speed Week.
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Raschke, 60, was operating a car called the Speed Demon. He had almost forty years of experience in the motorsports industry.
Raschke worked at the Ventura Raceway in the early 1980s, raced cars and 3-wheelers in the mini stock division, learned how to fabricate and maintain race cars while working with a renowned engine builder, and eventually joined the Speed Demon racing team as a driver, according to the team’s website.
Saturday marked the start of Race Week, which ends on Friday.
