60-Year-Old Racer Passes Away While Trying to Set Land Speed Record at Bonneville Salt Flats
Adventure Guy/YouTube
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Chris Raschke, a member of the Speed Demon Racing Team, passed away on Sunday while trying to set a land speed record during the annual Bonneville Salt Flats Speed Week in Utah. Reports indicate that the experienced racer lost control of his vehicle during the attempt. However, neither the authorities nor the Speed Demon team have clarified whether this loss of control was due to a mechanical issue, driver mistake, or environmental factors commonly encountered at the Salt Flats.
Medical personnel reportedly attended to Raschke after the accident, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. The Southern California Timing Association, the organizers of the event, confirmed his death on Sunday afternoon. A video shared by the Adventure Guy channel on YouTube captures Raschke launching in his new Speed Demon Streamliner the day prior to the tragic incident.
“At approximately 3:03 p.m. Mountain Time today, driver Chris Raschke, age 60, was attempting a speed record when he lost control of his land speed vehicle around the 2 1/2 mile mark,” stated the SCTA in a press release. “Chris received medical attention at the scene but unfortunately passed away from his injuries.”
Reports indicate that Raschke was 60 years old and had a diverse racing career that included three-wheelers, stock cars, drag racing, and of course, land speed vehicles. He was the first employee at Ventura Raceway and became well-known through his work at Duttweiler Automotive, which built and operated drag-racing Buicks during the 1980s and 1990s, according to Primetimer.
He later became part of the Speed Demon team in the late ’90s, collaborating with racing icon George Poteet, a land-speed racer and car collector from the Memphis region who achieved speeds exceeding 400 mph more than 50 times, according to the team. Poteet holds the existing Bonneville Salt Flats land speed record of 470.733 mph, set in 2020 while driving the Chevy-powered Speed Demon 715 streamliner. Poteet passed away in July 2024, and Raschke took over his position on the team.
The SCTA and Tooele County Sheriff’s Office are currently investigating the incident and will provide more information as it becomes available. Raschke is survived by his wife and three children, along with potentially grandchildren, although this was not detailed in the announcement.
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60-Year-Old Racer Passes Away While Trying to Set Land Speed Record at Bonneville Salt Flats
Chris Raschke was part of the renowned Speed Demon team, which established the current Bonneville Salt Flats record of 470 mph in 2020 alongside George Poteet.