Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta, age 46, passed away this afternoon as a result of a tragic crash at the Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, NJ. The crash occurred during the fourth round of qualifying at the track where Scott started his drag racing career. Near the end of the run, he had a huge, fiery engine explosion, blowing the body off of the car. The car then went off the end of the track, hit the safety net, then burst into a large fireball, possibly striking the camera crane.
Scott Kalitta was transported to Old Bridge Township Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The remaining racing was canceled for the rest of the day. ESPN2 continued their scheduled final round qualifying coverage with NHRA drivers eulogizing Scott Kalitta.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Kalitta family, friends and everyone at Kalitta Racing during this tragic experience.
Updated 9:31 PM, 6/21/08
Scott is survived by his wife Kathy, sons Corey, age 14, and Colin, age 8, and father Connie Kalitta.
You can review Scott's NHRA career on his page at NHRA.com