Driver Attempting To Break World Record Dies In Crash

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The racing world is in mourning.

Driver Chris Raschke died on Sunday as he was attempting to break a new speed record.

Raschke was attempting a speed record in Utah when he lost control of his car, going over 280 mph.

Fox News had more details to add on the fatal crash:

Veteran driver Chris Raschke died on Sunday after he lost control of his vehicle while traveling at a speed of 283 mph in an attempt to set a record at the famed Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, event organizers confirmed. He was 60.

The Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), which hosts SpeedWeek at the Bonneville Salt Flats, released a statement confirming Raschke’s death.

“At approximately 3:03 p.m. Mountain Time today, driver Chris Raschke. age 60, was attempting a speed record and lost control of his land speed vehicle at approximately the 2 1/2 mile. Chris was treated by medical professionals at the scene. Unfortunately, Chris passed away from his injuries,” the statement read.

SCTA noted that the cause of the incident is under investigation. The Tooele County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating Raschke’s death, did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Sgt. Dane Lerdahl, a spokesman for the law enforcement agency, told The Associated Press, “We know it was an accident of some sort.”

Raschke had reportedly reached a speed of 283 mph while driving the “Speed Demon.” The SCTA did not specify what record he was attempting to break, but according to Speed Demon Racing’s website, Raschke’s top speed in the streamliner was 391 mph.

“At this time, we ask everyone to please respect Chris’s family, friends, and the Speed Demon team. We are deeply devastated,” the team wrote in a statement on Facebook.

The crash was captured on the scene:

The New York Post reported Raschke isn’t the first driver to die at the track:

A driver trying to set a land speed record at Utah’s famed Bonneville Salt Flats died Sunday after he lost control of his “Speed Demon” rocket-like vehicle when he reached a staggering 283 mph.

Chris Raschke, 60, crashed his streamliner — a narrow, aerodynamic car designed to reach high speeds — about two-and-a-half miles into a run during the annual “SpeedWeek” event in Tooele County, organizers said.

“Chris was treated by medical professionals at the scene. Unfortunately, Chris passed away from his injuries,” the event’s organizer, Southern California Timing Association, said in a statement.

“The cause of the incident is currently under investigation.”

It wasn’t immediately clear what speed the veteran driver was aiming for.

The salt flats, a remnant of a prehistoric lakebed roughly 100 miles west of Salt Lake City, have long attracted thrill-seekers trying to set new records – sometimes topping 400 mph.

“Motor sports is inherently a dangerous sport,” Dennis Sullivan, the president of the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association, said.

“People get hurt. People get killed. That’s just the nature of the sport. It doesn’t happen a lot.”

One of the last racing deaths at the flats is believed to have occurred when Sam Wheeler, a renowned land speed motorcycle racer, crashed at 200 mph after his bike fish-tailed and went airborne.



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