We just got word that NHRA Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta died in a crash during qualifying for the Lucas Oil SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. He came from one of the great motorsports families. His father Connie Kalitta, known as the bounty hunter, had a 40 year NHRA career and his cousin Doug drives an NHRA Top Fuel car.

This isn’t the first tragedy to strike the NHRA in recent years. John Force driver Eric Medlin was killed in an accident last year. His death forced safety changes in the funny car series.

You know death is something that every driver in every series throughout this country must come to terms with at some point in their career. There is a risk strapping into a race car every week, probably more so in the NHRA. When you climb behind the wheel of a fiberglass bodied car doing 300 mph there is very little room for error. It is something that every driver in drag racing understands. 

It hurts whenever we lose someone we come to be familiar with in the garage area, or who we cheer for every weekend. Kalitta’s loss will be felt throughout motorsports, and we can only hope that positive changes will come from this tragedy.

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