R.I.P. Scott Kalitta

Scott Kalitta killed in tragic racing accident.

This past weekend the NHRA Powerade drag racing series stopped at our local track, Old Bridge Township Raceway Park (Englishtown, NJ). It was a typical NHRA event weekend with a packed house and fast racing action on the historic track. It all changed on Saturday afternoon during the final round of qualifying for the NItro Funny Car division. Scott Kalitta, son of the famous Connie Kalitta, had a tragic accident that took his life.

Fans and racers can speculate all they want, the facts are that the car exploded near the finish at speeds over 300 mph. From there, it is only a guess as to the events that unfolded, which took Kalitta's life. I watched the video over and over on YouTube, the chutes didn't deploy properly and the car didn't even look like it slowed down much. It could be said that Kalitta was knocked unconcious or the equipment failed. The car ran off the end of the track at a high rate of speed, through the sand trap, through the net, and the car exploded when it hit a wall or a pole.

Kalitta was a warrior who did it for the love of the sport. These racers know the dangers when they step inside the car. These race cars run on nitromethane, a serious and volitale fuel. Some fans can accept it, and some can't; the fact of the matter is Kalitta died doing what he loved. He knew the risks.

I enjoyed watching him race because he was a racer's racer. He wasn't a pretty-boy driver and he certainly didn't need to do it for a living. Kalitta Air and Leasing is a thriving business in which he was heir to the thrown. He did it for the love of nitro racing.

His career spanned nearly three decades, ironically his first professional race was the 1982 NHRA Summer Nationals at Englishtown. Kalitta won back-to-back NHRA Top Fuel titles in 1994 and 1995. He retired from the sport a few times and climbed back into a race car full-time in 2003 in the Top Fuel ranks. He transitioned back into a Funny Car in 2006. In recent years, most fans might remember his sinister looking Toyota Solara-bodied Funny Car that was painted flat-black and wore the Kalitta Air sponsor logo. He inked a deal with DHL and carried the yellow and red colors on his Toyota for 2008.

His enthusiasm and dedication to NHRA drag racing will certainly be missed. Godspeed ,Scott.