--- In BaadAssGremlins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Eddie Stakes" <eddiestakes@xxxx> wrote: > You are lucky to have walked away from that Gremlin crash. That is a > testimonial as to how well the cage was built. Screw the car, any lifeless > piece of metal can be replaced, you can't. But it is a risk one takes when > they put on a helmet too. I'm happy you are even able to post with your > fingers telling us about the experience as opposed to not having hands, or > laid up in hospital or even worse, like this local NHRA boy from Hockley, > which is about 40 miles from me. He died. So good to hear you are fine! > =================================== > Darrell Russell dies in Top Fuel crash > > > From Star news services > June 28, 2004 > > > NHRA drag racer Darrell Russell died Sunday night from injuries suffered in > a violent crash during the Sears Craftsman Nationals at Gateway > International Raceway in Madison, Ill. > > Russell, a 35-year-old native of Hockley, Texas, had just lost to Scott > Kalitta in the second round of eliminations when his Top Fuel dragster > crashed while running about 300 mph at the end of the quarter-mile strip at > Gateway International Raceway. > > Russell is the first participant to be killed in competition at an NHRA > national event since Blaine Johnson died in a crash during a qualifying run > at the U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park in 1996. > > Sunday's event continued after about a 45-minute delay. NHRA officials > informed the media of Russell's death about two hours after the crash. No > announcement was made to crowd of about 25,000. > > "The event continues," said Graham Light, NHRA vice president of racing > operations. "I think Darrell would have wanted that. We're not going to > announce it to the crowd at this point. I don't think there's anything to be > gained by doing that." > > Russell's car went out of control just past the finish line. It appeared to > shred a tire after Russell activated his parachute to slow his 2,200-pound > car. > > The car went sideways as it lost control and wound up going back against the > concrete wall to the left of the lane in which Russell had been racing. The > NHRA safety crew was rolling toward it immediately and quickly extinguished > a small fire that erupted around the remains of the car. > > Dan Brickey, director of emergency medical services for the NHRA, said the > driver's compartment was intact when the rescue team arrived. The workers > cut away the roll cage, immobilized Russell's spine and then took off his > helmet and the required head-and-neck restraint device before loading him > onto a backboard and taking him to the ambulance. > > Brickey said Russell was unconscious but breathing when he was taken by > helicopter to St. Louis University Medical Center, where he was pronounced > dead about two hours later. > > Category winners were Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Gary Scelzi (Funny Car), Greg > Anderson (Pro Stock) and Steve Johnson (Pro Stock Bike). > > Eddie Stakes > www.planethoustonamx.com > *Note volume of email is > extremely heavy, expect > 5-12 day responses I just heard about Russel On the show Wind Tunnel on the Speed Channel. A very sad thing, very sad. "Doc"