Racer got Killed at Thompson Today

I read on the Bullet today that a racer got killed. He was running a Dart and I heard the back wheels locked up as he crossed the line. Went head first across the lane into the guard rail and a rail was coming down the track and clipped him.

Found out later one of my buddies was running their and saw the whole thing. He said emergency personel put a blanket over the whole car. They cancelled racing for the day.

Never know when your time is up.



Tore

Hi Tore, that does suck. i no in my heart nobody wants to see that. No matter what brand there runing.... R.I.P.

Thats to bad for sure. It's always a possibility when you go to the line or wake up in the morning.

That's always horrible to hear. Nobody leaves the house to go to the track thinking this is going to be the day, but that risk is always there.

Tore,

Some one posted a link of one of the Cleveland News Channels on Yellowbullet,the car was a mess that's for sure.I had 2 close friends racing there Saturday in the Renegade class.Like you guys said you never know when it's your time to go.R.I.P to the Dodge Dart Driver.

Later Mark.

as quoted from his friend:

I'm heart broken right now.....I know there has been a thread started already with plenty of post with people sending condolences to Rich & his Family and I thank you all for the kind words....

I Just drove Rich's Truck & Trailer home and parked it in his Driveway and words cannot express what I was feeling during that ride knowing Rich would never walk with or talk with any of us again......Rich was a member here "Rich970" also a member of CUDRA and he loved his Mopar!! It was my pleasure to know him pretty much most of my life as he and my dad attended the same high school, Rich, A quiet guy, Stayed in the back round mostly, but always and I mean always had A Smile on his face, He was just that guy, You may have not known him, But you couldn't help but to like him......Sadly, I feel like that smile was taken for granted, I knew I would see it again after that pass because he had just laid down a good one 8.58 @ 151 mph and then it happened ...
Details & Facts :Rich Had just put a new Jerico Trans in his car and taken the old stock type hemi 4-speed out....The difference in the two were that when he let out of the gas on the top end the old trans would pull the car down making it easier to stop whereas the new trans would Pop into Neutral as soon as he lifted as he found out first pass this morning, Judging by the MPH on his final pass Rich was trying to counter the trans popping out of gear by grabbing a little brake as he lifted,He had just said that he'd had a hell of a time stopping the pass prior, anyway, There was a small puff of smoke at the finish line and the car made a hard left into the guardrail just past the finish line then shot back right into the far guardrail at which point broke the rail and fed itself through the passenger side of the car impaling Rich and Killing him instantly....The dragster Driven By Chuck Waid was also involved as he barrel rolled his car trying to avoid coming into contact with Rich (I Wish Chuck A Speedy Recovery).....No amount of safety Equipment could have saved him, all the broken bars were ripped out of it by the guardrail including the drivers seat & harnesses...I'm not a fan of guardrails,But we make decisions to race and we know the risk involved.....Rich along with many others are/were well aware of these type of risk and chose to race there anyway, So please do not Bash Thompson Raceway Park for not having Full Barrier Wall, Just Hope That in the future changes can be made to help prevent tragedy's like this one....

I'd like to Thank the Thompson Raceway Staff & Jimmy Curtis & The Renegade Racing Assoc. For Donating the proceeds of Todays race to Rich's Family. I'd also like to thank all the racers that came over to offer a hand and to make sure we didn't need anything..I can't remember the woman's name who always walks around bare foot, But She is some special kind of lady,She's with Dan Chuppa and truly a sweetheart,She would not go until she new for sure we didn't need anything, She even offered some yard space not too far from the track if we could not get his stuff home, It made me smile during a very rough time to see the support of fellow racers.....Rich, We Love You & We'll Miss you...Keep Shifting Those gears in the Sky.

That's a bad deal....But if I get killed in a split second in my race car,don't you guys shed a tear for me.It'd be way better than going through this cancer deal my family usually goes through. My prayers go out to his family and friends.

wow just terrible---what a way to go, but at least he was doing what he loved to do. Another reason why tracks should switch over to the cement barriers vs the guardrails.

I've seen 2 get killed at Bowling Green and it has concrete barriers. Going fast has it price ,and sometimes you pay it! It's a terrible thing, but the danger is always there.That's why I wear my firesuit even at Outlaw tracks..you just never know what the next pass will bring.I've been on top of a concrete wall with my car and it put some fear in me..I know it can happen to me now! I'm glad it was a concrete wall instead of a guardrail. I may not have been so lucky that way!

The racer killed at our home track this year was only driving a 10 sec car, he didnt hit the wall hard but rather barrel rolled down the track, his cage failed and some of the safety equipment he used was not up to par...................deal is it can happen to any of us anytime, it wont keep me from going or even making the car faster though. I do need to get a diaper made for this thing and update the cage its already faster than what its certified to.

I'm not sure if this played into it, but the one time we went to Thompson, as I recall there was a nasty bump after the finish line that really unsettled the car. I remember us having issues getting things whoa'd...sad to hear, but like others have said, anything can happen. The best defense is top of the line safety equipment and using it...

So Sad, R.I.P.