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Mauser98k
Hemme Powered
Reged: Thu
Posts: 59378
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NHRA driver Kalitta dies in crash
56 minutes ago
ENGLISHTOWN, NEW JERSEY (TICKER)—Scott Kalitta, one of NHRA’s top drivers, was killed in fiery crash Saturday. He was 46.
Kalitta was killed when his Funny Car crashed and burst into flames during qualifying for the LUCAS Oil NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.
A two-time Fuel champion who had 18 victories, Kalitta’s car was traveling at around 300 miles per hour when the engine of his Toyota Solara exploded into flames. The car hit a sand trap, then vaulted over a protective fence.
The NHRA released a statement on his passing.
“On behalf of everyone at NHRA, we are deeply saddened and want to pass along our sincere condolences to the entire Kalitta family,” the statement read. “Scott shared the same passion for drag racing as his legendary father, Connie. He also shared the same desire to win, becoming a two-time series world champion. He left the sport for a period of time, to devote more time to his family, only to be driven to return to the drag strip to regain his championship form.
“Scott was a terrific driver and perhaps more importantly a better person and a great father to his two kids. He will be truly missed by the entire NHRA community. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Kathy, sons Corey and Colin, his cousin Doug and his father Connie.”
RIP Scott
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All I Need
Christy Hemme
avy by boones
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WesMordine
The Witness
Reged: Tue
Posts: 5202
Loc: In a country with no army =)
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300 mph!?! That´s just wrong!
R.I.P.
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Crushingly Beautiful (tm) Ladies (July '08)
Rianne Ten Haken --*-- Julie Ordon
Leighton Meester --*-- Summer Glau
Taylor Swift --*-- Rachael Taylor.
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DD
Danica Fucker
Reged: Mon
Posts: 26999
Loc: Loosening Danica's Rear End
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Um, yeah, Funny Cars have always gone that fast. They can do about 330 even.
RIP Scott. He's always been one of the mainstays of NHRA.
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1 Danica  2 Christina Aguilera 3 Hilary Duff 4 Avril Lavigne 5 Amy Lee
6 Sasha Cohen 7 Olivia Munn 8 Jessica Simpson 9 Emma Watson 10 Christy Hemme
Lureman's gonna kick my ass over the internets 
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1oldminer
Established Member
Reged: Mon
Posts: 863
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At that speed this is what happens in any race involing funny cars, dragsters, nascars formula 1, etc and the result is tragic events like this.
It is a sport, that is in my opinion, should be banned because most of the people that watch these things come to to see the accidents that inevitably happens at such speeds on the track, and despite the incredible skills I readily acknowledge drivers like Danica Patick, Dale Ernhart Jr, The Andrettis, Unsers etc, do have. Divers are going to continue to have serious injuries or die. Of course no sane person wants to see people die on the track, but unfortunately this is what happens in car racing.
Never understood it and probably never will about car racing.  Waste of gas, waste of money and waste of human lives 
But that is just me 
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HEMI6point1
Hot Prospect
Reged: Wed
Posts: 172
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Quote:
At that speed this is what happens in any race involing funny cars, dragsters, nascars formula 1, etc and the result is tragic events like this.
It is a sport, that is in my opinion, should be banned because most of the people that watch these things come to to see the accidents that inevitably happens at such speeds on the track, and despite the incredible skills I readily acknowledge drivers like Danica Patick, Dale Ernhart Jr, The Andrettis, Unsers etc, do have. Divers are going to continue to have serious injuries or die. Of course no sane person wants to see people die on the track, but unfortunately this is what happens in car racing.
Never understood it and probably never will about car racing. Waste of gas, waste of money and waste of human lives
But that is just me
NASCAR fans (at least the majority of them) watch the racing to see who's going to crash. NHRA drag racing fans like myself watch the racing for just that - the racing. Hearing the news that Scott Katlitta died from this crash is just sad and a horrible tragedy for all of the racing community.
Be nice, name calling isn't necessary.
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My current top 15 in no order (other than #1):
1. Katharine McPhee
2. Denise Milani
3. Emmanuelle Chriqui
4. Alley Baggett
5. Ashley Force
6. Josie Maran
7. Tiffany Taylor
8. Kim Kardashian
9. Lacey Chabert
10. Lucy Pinder
11. Michelle Marsh
12. Michelle Ryan
13. Drew Barrymore
14. Shannon Elizabeth
15. Leelee Sobieski
Edited by Steel (Sun Jun 22 2008 02:48 AM)
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HEMI6point1
Hot Prospect
Reged: Wed
Posts: 172
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Sorry Steel. I guess I let my emotions get to me.
Anyway, for anyone who's morbidly curious, here's the crash: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DziJdGwFQjU
In case you're wandering why could this could happen:
The dragstrip (Old Bridge Township Raceway Park) has a sandtrap at the end of the shutdown area to help stop cars that have trouble stopping (parachute failure, for example) as well as 1 or 2 "catchnets." All dragstrips on the NHRA tour have this, but more than a few also have "runoffs" beyond the sandtrap should the catchnets not be enough. Well at old Bridge you can't have a runoff because just after the sandtrap there's trees then a public street. So instead of a runoff Old Bridge has.... a concrete wall at the end of the sandtrap to prevent cars from going off the track and into the woods and the road.
Kallita was traveling at an estimated 200mph when he hit the sand traps, at that speed the sand trap won't do you much good.  When he hit the sand it catapulted the car over the catchnets and then it hit a TV camera crane and then came down rollcage first onto the concrete wall at the end of the sandtrap. I would not be surprised if wholesale changes are made to Old Bridge after this tragic accident.
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My current top 15 in no order (other than #1):
1. Katharine McPhee
2. Denise Milani
3. Emmanuelle Chriqui
4. Alley Baggett
5. Ashley Force
6. Josie Maran
7. Tiffany Taylor
8. Kim Kardashian
9. Lacey Chabert
10. Lucy Pinder
11. Michelle Marsh
12. Michelle Ryan
13. Drew Barrymore
14. Shannon Elizabeth
15. Leelee Sobieski
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bingobango
Established Member
Reged: Wed
Posts: 651
Loc: London
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Having a concrete wall at the end of the track probably isn't the best idea.
Of course motor racing shouldn't be banned. There are loads of sports that are far more dangerous in terms of the percentage of fatalities amongst participants. Scuba diving, cave diving, rock climbing, horse riding, caving, skiing and white water rafting to name a few.
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Top 5
1) Grace Park
2) Aya Ueto
3) Olivia Munn
4) Phoebe Cates
5) Maria Ozawa
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