Overview

• The newly unveiled Speed Demon III streamliner lifted off at over 300 mph near the 2.5-mile mark on Course No. 1 and crashed violently on the salt flats.
• Emergency crews declared Raschke dead at the scene after responding within seconds to the mid-afternoon accident on August 4.
• The SCTA officially confirmed his death around 5 p.m. local time and suspended the day’s racing out of respect.
• The SCTA and Tooele County Sheriff’s Office have launched parallel probes into possible mechanical failures, aerodynamic lift and track surface conditions.
• Colleagues and fans have paid tribute to the veteran driver whose multi-decade career advanced piston-powered streamliner design.