Scott Kalitta was a good guy.
There is no other way to put it.
To begin, he came from good stock. Father Connie was an icon in drag racing, as much for his efforts off the track as on it. Years ago, when Shirley Muldowney was a rank outsider – as all women in motorsports were at the time – Connie Kalitta extended a welcoming hand.
His son was much the same type of man.
Shortly after winning back-to-back Top Fuel championships in 1994-95, Scott Kalitta quit drag racing to spend more time with his young family.
But, like most racers, Kalitta found it impossible to retire. After completing less than a season's worth of races over a six-year span, Scott Kalitta returned to a full-time schedule in 2004 for the team owned by his father.
Saturday at Englishtown, N.J., Scott Kalitta died at age 46 in what can only be described as a horrific crash. Everything that conceivably could have gone wrong seemed to conspire against the driver.
Inspired by the efforts of 14-time champion John Force after the death of teammate Eric Medlen last year, the National Hot Rod Association has worked hard this past year to improve the safety specifications of all cars, particularly the Funny Car, which was the class of choice for Medlen and Kalitta.
But after watching tape of Kalitta's accident – and I don't care to ever see it again – I have no idea what measures could be taken to avoid that catastrophe.
The engine seemed to explode at top speed. The parachutes didn't deploy properly, then were destroyed instantly by the explosion. And as the car entered the run-off area, which, at Englishtown, is rougher and shorter than at many tracks, the car was bouncing, neutralizing the brakes.
Kalitta's car then seemed to launch as it hit a bump at the front of the sand pit. It cleared the safety net and rammed into a wall perpendicular to the track and into to a crane used by ESPN for its overhead camera shots.
That's how it appeared. The NHRA is conducting a full inquiry. Although Kalitta's death was the second in the Funny Car division in as many years, it was only the third in the class since 1955. Over 53 years, there have been nine deaths in the three pro classes of NHRA drag racing, including four in the Top Fuel division.
Force, who was nearly killed in a Funny Car accident last fall, has dedicated himself to improving the safety aspects of the Funny Car since Medlen's fatal accident. On Tuesday, Force said neither he nor any member of his team would comment on Kalitta's accident until the completion of the NHRA investigation.
Kalitta was driving a chassis that was modified with the safety upgrades put in place since the Medlen accident.
Kalitta was driving for the team owned by his father. Cousin Doug Kalitta, Dave Grubnic and Hillary Will drive the team's Top Fuelers. Although the Kalitta team withdrew from the Englishtown meet after Scott's accident, it is expected to return to competition this week at Norwalk, Ohio.
Scott Kalitta won 18 events during a career that began in 1982. In 1994, he became the first Top Fuel driver to win four straight meets – a run that carried him to his first championship.
Over his back-to-back title seasons, Kalitta scored 11 wins. His most recent win came in 2005 in the Top Fuel division.
Kalitta first retired in 1998 when his oldest son, Corey, was 6. After Colin was born in 1999, Kalitta spent three more seasons on the sideline.
SCORE event canceled
SCORE has canceled its Las Vegas Cup IV, scheduled for July 18-19 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Although no reason was given, a variety of factors seemed to be involved, including the loss of the title sponsor. Also, the five-class, closed-course race was going to return to nonpoints status, which resulted in a drop of early entries.
Plus, the eight-round Championship Off-Road Racing closed-course series – which will have July, September and December events in Chula Vista – had drained off some of the interest in the SCORE meet.
But with the problems SCORE is also having with its traditional Mexican races while interest in CORR grows, this is not a good time for SCORE desert racing.
Bill Center: (619) 293-1851; bill.center@uniontrib.com
