History Dragstrip deaths

In looking at drag racing history on the 'net I stumbled across this website. I searched HAMB to see if it had been posted before and didn't find it.

Ken


http://dragstripdeaths.webs.com/

 

First one to come to mind for me was....Lee Shepherd

 

This thread will be one that brings sadness but none the less needed so we will never forget.

Elmer Trett September 1, 1996. NHRA US Nationals.
Blaine Johnson...the day before at same race.

 

Bruce Woodcock of Rakers car club Long Beach,CA. San Gabriel dragstrip. July 6th about 1961. Racing for top eliminator in clubs A fuel dragster. Have photos. Dick

 

Very sad but fitting tribute to the men who died for the sport we love.

 

A friend of mine was telling me about a race he attended in Madera, Ca. in 1960 and he said the guy was driving a chopped T coupe that had a removable roof to get in and out of the car and the driver would get in and then the crew would use screws to hold the roof back on. Well the car caught fire on the starting line and he could not get out, so everybody in the grandstands watched him burn. He said it was the worst thing he ever saw.
I found him on this site..
Dean Baxter, July 10th 1960

 

And they died doing what they loved... who can ask for more ?

 

Del Heinelt,Don Carlton

 

Casper -I was also there in 1960 when the T coupe caught fire at the line-as I recall, he was asked to shut it down for something and it then caught fire. It was a horrible event-I'm sure there are others on here (madera Clutchers) who know more about this than I do--I believe the guy was from Merced--memory a little fuzzy--many years ago.

 

Mickey Brown at Lions Drag Strip in 59' got killed in the dragster we own. Very sad. His wife and kids were there too.

 

Ditto.. Awesome driver.

 

Rich Place;1974. Happened at Tri-City Dragway;sadly,I was there for that unfortunate incident. I was living in the Detroit area at the time,and decided to look up some Flint friends and check out the action at T-C. I don't think I went to a track the rest of the season after that.

 

Strange this was posted today...

Eric Medlen passed on March 23rd 2007

 

Chuck Branham Jan '63 blew the engine, massive fire and didn't have firesuit on. Took 6 weeks but the burns got him. RIP miss you

 

A really great friend....March 8th, 2008.
John Shoemaker R.I.P.

 

I unfortunatly witnessed mr. tretts accident at indy. looked as if he sat up at the end of the track and the wind blew him off the bike. will never forget that race weekend, Blain and Elmer at the same race. such a sad weekend!

 

Jimmy Nix was killed at the Texas Motorplex on Saturday May 21st, '94. The rear wing on his Top Fueler collapsed right before the finish line and he hit the wall and went over it at about 290mph. He was a great guy, good drag racer and stand-up businessman and citizen who devoted a lot of time and money to his community. He was really stoked that night because he had just signed a two-year full sponsorship to run the NHRA circuit in '95 & '96. He had tons of friends at the track that night too. RIP Smilin' Okie.

 

I was there too. Elmer was one of my best friends. I was just numb. His right hand came off the handlebar at 232 mph and as he tried to grab the handlebar he got up in the wind and blown off. It was the worse day of my life.

 

My dad was there, I was too, but was an infant. He was in the TransJammers car club from Parlier. He took his camera everywhere and I have slides of the car before and during the fire. Every time dad showed the slides he would comment about the driver being screwed into the car and how it was going to get somebody killed.

 

Don Carlton, Mike Sorokin, John Lingenfelter

 

Ted DeTar The Kansas Badman

 

I saw it happen, Bruce was racing Don Yates in Dick Goss's fueler, got off the track on the spectator side, tried to drive it back, lost control, car was airborne for a long time, disintegrated on impact, I think that Bruce's mother was there...wish I had never seen it...

 

What about Jungle Jim? I forget the year though I was little (cute as Hell) but little

 

lots of greats, may they all rest in peace and never be forgotten.. rock on.
chris.

 

He died in a street car, not on the track.

 

Les Ritchey,John Mulligan,Pete Robinson, Too many all gone too soon.

 

Don't forget John Zookeeper Mulligan at the 69 Indy nationals. R I P

 

I had just arrived at the track to crew for a friend on his super gas car, when I heard the sound of an A Fuel dragster do a burn out and not stop and back up. Down the track she went, crashed at the big end, killing this young gal. A fellow crew chief of an Alcohol racer, who shall remain name less, said that Carrie had back fired on the burn out, causing the butterflies in the injectors to stick open. The car accelerated, she tried to stop it and burned the brake up, (A fuel Cars like a load against them causes them to make more power) The parachute still had the pin it it because, remember she was still on the burn out. She apparently didn't know how to shut the fuel off, (this was her debut in an A Fuel Car). She had driven Alcohol Dragster before. Horrible accident. I still remember as if it happened yesterday.

 

Gary Cagle