Accident claims life of Alcohol Dragster competitor in Seattle

Accident claims life of Alcohol Dragster competitor in Seattle
Sunday, July 11, 2010



Top Alcohol Dragster racer Mark Niver, 60, from Phoenix, was involved in a fatal incident today when his dragster crashed in the shutdown area during eliminations at the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways. NHRA officials are investigating the accident.

Niver was a racer’s racer. For most of his career, he not only drove but built his dragsters and machined his engines and components. His talent on the race track and in the machine shop was superseded only by his kindness and willingness to help other racers. Niver raced dragsters of all varieties dating back to the Pro Comp era in the 1970s. He’s raced blown alcohol and injected nitro engines, and he even dabbled in Top Fuel.

When Niver won the 2003 Division 7 event in Tucson, Ariz., he broke a drought that lasted since his win at the 1983 divisional event at Orange County Int’l Raceway, which closed that year. Niver won two more Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series events after that, the most recent of which was the Tucson event in 2006.

Niver waited until 2008 to earn the crowning achievement of his long career. He won the 2008 O’Reilly Summer Nationals in Topeka by defeating final-round opponent Chris Demke, who, coincidentally, singled in the final after Niver’s incident. (Demke’s team presented Niver’s family the Wally.) Niver won again in 2008 when he scored his second national event victory in Seattle.

NHRA and Pacific Raceways officials extend their deepest sympathies to the entire Niver family.

Another source;
KENT, Wash. -- Top Alcohol Dragster driver Mark Niver was killed Sunday during the Northwest Nationals when his car buckled after slamming into the netting at the end of the track.

NHRA officials are investigating the accident.

The parachutes immediately ripped off the dragster when deployed as Niver, 60, crossed the finish line. Niver couldn't get the car stopped before going into the sand pit at the end of the asphalt surface at Pacific Raceways.

When the dragster hit the catch netting, it buckled the chassis back into the driver cockpit.

Niver, a 30-year NHRA veteran, is a Minnesota native and former Alaska resident who now lives in Phoenix. Niver built all his own cars and engines. He had two national event victories in Top Alcohol Dragster, including 2008 at Seattle.

Niver's death was the second in a month at an NHRA event. Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Neal Parker, 58, was killed in Englishtown, N.J. on June 11 when his parachutes did not deploy after his run and he crashed in the shutdown area.

Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta was killed at Englishtown in a similar accident in 2008.



RIP,

I just heard about this a little while ago. May he rest in peace.

RIP Mike ,,,,,,,

RIP Mark
Sad, sad news. I don't know how much speed he had scrubbed off after the chutes came off, but did you see the way the car folded when it hit the netting? That was a scary site for sure, wonder if that had something to do with this?

Man he didn't seem to be going very fast when he hit the net. I bet the car folding up may be more to blame than anything.

R.I.P., Very sad to see.

Sad story, RIP, thoughts with the family.

Bill

Very sad to hear, this is the second time this year that something like that has happened. (Neal Parker) R.I.P to both of them.

May his family find the peace they need

bruno wrote:RIP Mike ,,,,,,,

Who the hell is Mike?

Mark was a great guy to be around, he would help anyone. He always built all his own stuff and was really good at it. He worked as a machinist at a shop with another friend of mine. He will be missed. RIP Mark, you left us too soon.

Very sad, R.I.P.