Scott Kalitta, RIP

Munjibunga · #1 06-21-2008, 05:47 PM

He was killed earlier today racing in New Jersey.

Scott Kalitta dies in crash.

Ripper · #2 06-21-2008, 05:52 PM

wow... just wow... at least it was something he loved.

RIP

FL Knifemaker · #3 06-21-2008, 06:06 PM

Horrible news. May he RIP.

T-Bird · #4 06-21-2008, 06:11 PM

Damn, thats sad news

.

Usually they walk away with minor injuries.

This will cast a dark cloud over the Alastaro EC drags.

As said, at least he went doing something he loved.

RIP

Regards
Sam

Edit: Posted before watching the video, no-one walks away after that kind of an accident. The braking zone seemed a bit short, hard to tell from the video.

Bob Lee (QSC) · #5 06-21-2008, 07:19 PM

That's sad news.

peterbright · #6 06-21-2008, 07:23 PM

Very sad.

Ripper · #7 06-21-2008, 08:02 PM

just watched the video... and i cant even put my reaction into words... at least not postable on this site

RWP · #8 06-21-2008, 09:27 PM

What is the deal with that track? I thought they ALL had a safety over run area with sand or dirt to slow the car? I am really shocked. Things go wrong and when your going 300 MPH there needs to be a margin of error for the sake of the drivers. RIP Scott. What a needless loss.

MoD_Scotty · #9 06-22-2008, 01:47 AM

Here's the vid of the accident:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_zb64jpY0c

FrizzleFry · #10 06-22-2008, 02:20 AM

That's terrible. RIP

ROON · #11 06-22-2008, 04:46 AM

That is a horrible, horrible photo. To think a person is inside that car.
I have never heard of him before because I don't follow the USA drags.

Nevertheless I am still very saddened to hear of his death.

RIP.

ROON · #12 06-22-2008, 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RWP

What is the deal with that track? I thought they ALL had a safety over run area with sand or dirt to slow the car? I am really shocked. Things go wrong and when your going 300 MPH there needs to be a margin of error for the sake of the drivers. RIP Scott. What a needless loss.

Strange isn't it? The track looks like it has no sand trap whatsoever, and if it does, it's been blocked off and it has a crane on it.

The drag strip in my city (Western Sydney Internation Dragway) has a HUGE runoff area. I've seen cars blow up like that before at crazy speeds, but I have never seen someone die. The sand trap stops everything in its tracks.

Ripper · #13 06-22-2008, 07:03 AM

there was a sand pit there, and catch nets behind it... it just wasnt very long.

from what i could see the fire melted the parachutes and the brakes never engaged so he hit the sand pit at like 200-250... then it just all went up...

EDIT: after rewatching... there isnt a sand pit there... wow...

**JayAmel** · #14 06-22-2008, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROON

That is a horrible, horrible photo. To think a person is inside that car.

+1. May he rest in peace.

68Goldfish · #15 06-22-2008, 09:44 AM

That almost makes me sick. The explosion and fire are one thing, most times they walk away from that. But the lack of a long enough saftey area and then what looks to be a concrete wall after it, I dont' get it.
RIP Scott.

RWP · #16 06-22-2008, 10:00 AM

I am having a real problem with the needless nature of Scotts death. Any track where top fuel is being run needs to be able to accommodate a race car in a worse case situation like this one. Cars blow up all the time going through the lights and there needs to be enough run-out area to slow the car no matter what. If the NHRA doesn't make a few changes over this one I will be surprised.

**Kelly Lee** · #17 06-22-2008, 12:47 PM

Marcus Johnson · #18 06-22-2008, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RWP

Cars blow up all the time going through the lights and there needs to be enough run-out area to slow the car no matter what. .

That was my thought when I saw the vid. It didn't look much different than a thousand other blowups until the end, when the car clearly had a second, catastrophic collision with something immovable. According to one report I read, it turns out that Scott's chute failed to deploy, and he slammed at high speed into a post that supports the catch net.

mike phillips · #19 06-22-2008, 05:13 PM

sad, so sad. my sympathy to the kalitta family.

ROON · #20 06-22-2008, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

That was my thought when I saw the vid. It didn't look much different than a thousand other blowups until the end, when the car clearly had a second, catastrophic collision with something immovable. According to one report I read, it turns out that Scott's chute failed to deploy, and he slammed at high speed into a post that supports the catch net.

I just watched the video again, you're right, there is a catch net. But it looks like when you're in his lane you'd have to actually turn to get the net, or you hit that sectioned off bit that his car ran into. If you watch the video he is pretty much going dead straight even after he has blown up, he doesn't just stray into a pole. I think that track has some serious flaws.

Then again, I have only seen the track through that video so I may be wrong.