Scott Kalitta...dead at 46!

[shor]

Norm's quote concerning Atco" <font color="red"> When I used to race down at Atco at the end there was about a ½ mile of sand </font> "

Norm's quote concerning Raceway Park " <font color="red"> after passing through a token sand trap</font> "

I have raced at Raceway Park and Gateway and to tell you the truth, I have never seen the sand. I know it's there, just that I have never made it down that far to see it or look at it.
Norm's claim of "a half mile of sand at Atco, and only a token of sand at Raceway Park" struck me as rather odd.
Rather than comment on it then, I decided to do a little research of my own. Below is the results of my research.

[shor]

Raceway Park Sand Trap Length 126 feet

web link

[shor]

Atco Sand Trap Length 119 feet

web page

[Chevy454]

A couple of posts from racers in this thread over at one of the S/S sites...

[ QUOTE ]
I was at Englishtown for all 4 days of the event; and, of course, I witnessed the tragedy on Saturday. From what I observed, and from what I was told by observers at the top end, the net never came in to play. The reason for that is that the car drifted to the right, which caused it to miss the sand trap and the net, and it then went into the wall at an extremely high rate of speed. The parachutes never deployed, either because they became tangled or they were burned off. The brakes apparently were never applied, either because Scott was unconscious; or, as Jim Head pointed out, the brake cables were burned to the point of making the brakes inoperable. There are still far more questions than there are answers; I for one hope that the NHRA investigates this thoroughly and gives us a plausible reason for this tragedy.
Bill Seabrooks - superfan1

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
My brother who was the lead in Earnhardts death was flown to NJ by NHRA Sunday night to gather data and try to figure out what happened. He also worked with NHRA on the Darrell Russell wreck. The car was still under power when it hit at the end so even though the explosion the motor was still running.

Herb McCandless Jr

[/ QUOTE ]

[bowtie3168]

Norm reynolds, your comments are inaccurate, in the future it may be a good idea to know and understand all of the information pertaining to a subject before making such a statement. Criminal would describe someone making the comment like the one that you made.
Andrew Hinckley

[Chevy454]

Andrew: I was wondering if you were watching...holler @ me when you get a chance.

[bowtie3168]

ok

[Verne_Frantz]

I'm not playng the blame game at all, but will pass on some info I believe to be true. About 15 years ago a racer went off the end of the track before the posts and concrete curved wall were in place. He went through the woods, across Pension road and finally stopped in a field on the other side which the Napps also own. The driver was ok and no one on the road was killed. The township made the track put up "something" to keep cars from ever getting within a certain distance of Pension Rd.
I don't think this tragedy is anyone's fault.

May Scott rest in peace and his family find comfort.

Verne

[69hurstSC]

There were reports the car was still traveling at 300mph when it crashed. NASCAR hasnt had a death in its top 3 divisions since 2001. I wonder when there going to shorten these tracks to 1/8 mile?
RIP Scott

[Norm reynolds]

I was pm a road trip and had on Sirius # 147 road dog channel
They had a show talking about this
Was reported that the cement wall MUST be removed asp per NHRA
Also talks of the track owners might be sued for have that cement wall were
it should have not been This I do not see the point It will not bring back Scott but it might save some one else
I not going to get in a pissing mach over this all In said was In my heart Scott might
Of survived if the wall were not there. either way was if was a very stupid on the tracks owner
Putting that wall there I know it is after the fact and it can not bring Scott back
I never meant Scott but I did have a few run ins with Connie Worked 18 year’s for DHL\
And I would have run in form Connie from time to time at the airport and about problems with his planes
He has a fleet of DC 8s and 747s all I can say boy he is some peace work and bull headed as hell