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…

Hot rod daughter beats hot rod dad!

John Force (pictured above, right) is a hot rod racing legend in the States. Maybe one day Hollywood will come a-knockin’ and make a shit TV movie about his life, perhaps starring Dennis Quaid. For now though, he’s best known as the man whose hot daughter Ashley (pictured above, left) became the first woman ever to win an NHRA hot rod - or “Funny Car” - event, last week. Not only that, but she beat her dad in the process… when he was about to claim his 1,000th win. Plain selfish.