Veteran drag racer dies on track after car explodes

Motor racing is much safer than it’s ever been, but there are times when we’re reminded that it is still a very dangerous sport. Less than a week after an 18-year-old rally spectator was killed in Ireland, Scott Kalitta, 46, lost his life when his Funny Car (dragster) burst into flames during a qualifying run at the Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey. Funny Cars are essentially rockets with wheels, so when things go wrong, they can go very wrong…

ESPN chose to show this brief video of the crash, which you are free to watch below. It’s not graphic, but it is shocking:

When your car turns into a fireball at 300mph, there’s not a lot you can do. R.I.P Scott.