Drag racer dies in a firely crash at Enlishtown

[GEJ]

Excuse the spelling errors:

Scott Kaletta died today in a fire 300 MPH crash at Englishtown today.The funny car caught fire at the 3/4 mark and continued to burn until it hit the wall at the end of the track exploding there.Connie his father had left the racing operation to Scott to run after many many yrs of Connie had raced himself.(A.K.A-the movie"Heart like a wheel")This sad news for anyone who has been involved in drag racing and from myself I will be have some private thoughts for Scott and his family. [-o<

http://www.nhra.com/content/news/30033.htm

[Jersey John]

I was at Englishtown yesterday and it was a horific accident. My thoughts and prayers are with the entire Kalitta family and team.

[phr1$k37]

My prayers for them as well. Wife and two young boys left behind :(

[GEJ]

NHRA's statement on accident:

http://www.nhra.com/content/news/30197.htm


They continue to try to find out more as to what could be done.

[NotDadsW41]

Thoughts and prayers to the Kalitta family and their fans.

I watched some of the TV coverage from the NHRA yesterday. One of the drivers was VERY critical of the track conditions, safety wise, in NJ.

I wonder why NHRA and the track owners have been so slow to react to changes in their sport? NASCAR was/is the same way. It took Earnhardt's death to speed along the safety issue there.

I would have thought that every major motorsports division would be taking a closer look at the facilities where they race after that. I guess I was wrong.

Why does it take a driver's death to get people to change in motorsports?

Who has to die next?

[T.Low]

Awe, I hate to hear stuff like that. I don't follow drag racing, but the Kaletta name is one I definitely recognize. Its a shame.

[wagonmaster]

Scott's Dad, Connie Kalitta, and the other Kalitta teams were back at it in Ohio this week end. Pro Stock Champion Greg?? (Summit Racing GTO) gave his NHRA Champion's trophy to Scott Kalitta's 15 yr/ old son and dedicatd the race and win to the Kalitta family! Nice move!

[GEJ]

Met Connie and Scott yrs ago while I worked at Burlington Air Express.BAX leased planes from them.Scott had a 727 for his plane with the inside redone.Connie would tell his plane mechanic's they would have to go out and work on the race team.If they refused,he would station them in some backward airport in the middle of no where.Scott was one of the nicest guys you would ever want to be around.Yrs later after I left BAX I ran into him at the Indy drag racers auction.He pulled me by my jacket behind his booth and started to talk to me like it was just yesterday we last talked.Yep-he remembered me name and all.He will be missed by many.

[T.Low]

Another bad example of how Death does not discriminate.

Please excuse my temper but we just got together for the one year anniversary of a friend's death. His pregnant wife got caught in a rip tide in Hawaii last June and he jumped in and saved her, then he himself drown. Lost a lot of friends last year. It was strange.

I still remember where I was when I heard on the radio that Davey Allsion crashed his helicopter in the infield and died. I guess its natural to want good people to live forever.

A friend of mine lost his 20 yr old son last year. He and his son had a pair of '68 Camaro's they were building together. At the funeral everyone did burnouts and my friends thought it was a great tribute to their son.

So hard when people lose a child, grown or not. What a blow to the Kaletta family. They have my condolences.

[GEJ]

Well N.H.R.A. did shorten the track lights for the nitro classes to 1,000ft.Don't know-but it seems that is a big difference in those classes.

Now for the U.S.Nationals in Indy they did the following:


http://www.nhra.com/content/news/31914.htm

I don't know why the foam walls or water filled walls where not used.Seems to me to contain the cars was more important than trying to keep drivers from getting hurt.Could it be those won't work given the speeds??. :-k :-k