Racer Dies Trying To Set Land Speed Record At Utah Salt Flats

A driver died Sunday aft crashing while trying to group a onshore velocity grounds astatine an yearly arena connected nan Bonneville Salt Flats successful Utah, arena organizers said.

Chris Raschke, 60, died aft nan clang astatine astir 3:03 p.m. MT, officials pinch nan Southern California Timing Association, which runs nan event, said successful a statement.

The clang happened aft organizers said Raschke “lost power of his onshore velocity conveyance astatine astir nan 2 1/2 mile." It occurred during nan yearly “Speed Week," which opened Sunday.

The Bonneville Salt Flats are astir 12 miles agelong and 5 miles wide and are made up of sodium chloride, aliases array salt, according to nan national Bureau of Land Management, which oversees it.

The area is utilized for onshore velocity racing, among different purposes, it says. Drivers astatine nan Bonneville arena tin scope speeds of much than 300 mph.

Raschke was a driver pinch nan Speed Demon squad successful Ventura County, California, and piloted nan Speed Demon streamliner, the squad says connected its website. He began moving successful motorsports successful nan 1980s, it said.

"We are profoundly devastated," nan squad said connected societal media Sunday.

The American Hot Rod Foundation was among those besides mourning Raschke's death. It said he was reportedly walking successful nan vicinity of 300 mph erstwhile nan clang occurred.

"To those who knew him connected nan salt, he was personification who recovered nan cleanable equilibrium of friends and competitive. Never a accustomed operation and 1 that speaks to nan value of his character," the relation said successful a statement. "We nonstop our deepest sympathies to Chris’s family and friends."

The flats are located astir 120 miles westbound of Salt Lake City, connected nan occidental separator of nan Great Salt Lake Basin, nan BLM says connected its website. They’re remnants of Lake Bonneville.

The origin of nan clang is nether investigation, nan Southern California Timing Association said.