'Speed Demon' Driver Dies in Attempt to Set Record

A driver trying to set a speed record during a racing event at Utah's famed Bonneville Salt Flats died Sunday after losing control of his vehicle, organizers said. Driver Chris Raschke was treated by medical professionals at the scene, but died from his injuries, according to the Southern California Timing Association, which organizes the popular land-speed racing event known as "Speed Week." Raschke lost control of the vehicle about two and a half miles into a run. The association said the death is under investigation.

For decades, people have used the flat, glasslike surface at Bonneville Salt Flats, 100 miles west of Salt Lake City, to set speed records sometimes topping 400 mph, the AP reports. Speed Week has long been a draw for motorcycle and car fans. Raschke, 60, was the driver for a vehicle known as the Speed Demon. He had worked in motor sports for more than four decades. According to the Speed Demon racing team's site, Raschke worked at the Ventura Raceway in the early 1980s, raced 3-wheelers and cars in the mini stock division, learned to fabricate and maintain race cars when working with an acclaimed engine builder and later became a driver for the Speed Demon team.