DSSKing68
06-14-2010, 12:04 PM
Sportsman driver Neal Parker died Friday following a high-speed crash while attempting to qualify for the 41st annual United Association NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J.
Parker, 58, of Millville, N.J., crossed the quarter-mile finish line in 5.732 seconds at 249.90 mph in his Top Alcohol Funny Car. The car didn't slow properly, failed to deploy its parachutes, and went careening into the gravel trap at the end of track's shutdown area.
NHRA vice president of competition Graham Light said Parker's car went through the trap, knocked down a couple of layers of the catch netting, and carried into the water barrels at the back end of the catch area.
The NHRA released this statement in the hours after the crash: "Top Alcohol Funny Car racer Neal Parker crashed today at a high rate of speed in the shutdown area during qualifying for the NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park and was pronounced dead. NHRA officials and the New Jersey State Police are investigating the accident. On behalf of everyone at NHRA and Raceway Park, we are deeply saddened and want to pass along our sincere condolences to the entire Parker family."
This is the second fatal crash in three years at the NHRA SuperNationals. Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta died from injures suffered in a similar crash in 2008, which prompted the NHRA to reduce its racing distance from a quarter mile to 1,000 feet for nitromethane-powered Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars.
Old Bridge Township opened in 1965 when top speeds in the sport were slightly more than 200 mph.
Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100611/NHRA/100619969#ixzz0qqKUSsG7
Parker, 58, of Millville, N.J., crossed the quarter-mile finish line in 5.732 seconds at 249.90 mph in his Top Alcohol Funny Car. The car didn't slow properly, failed to deploy its parachutes, and went careening into the gravel trap at the end of track's shutdown area.
NHRA vice president of competition Graham Light said Parker's car went through the trap, knocked down a couple of layers of the catch netting, and carried into the water barrels at the back end of the catch area.
The NHRA released this statement in the hours after the crash: "Top Alcohol Funny Car racer Neal Parker crashed today at a high rate of speed in the shutdown area during qualifying for the NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park and was pronounced dead. NHRA officials and the New Jersey State Police are investigating the accident. On behalf of everyone at NHRA and Raceway Park, we are deeply saddened and want to pass along our sincere condolences to the entire Parker family."
This is the second fatal crash in three years at the NHRA SuperNationals. Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta died from injures suffered in a similar crash in 2008, which prompted the NHRA to reduce its racing distance from a quarter mile to 1,000 feet for nitromethane-powered Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars.
Old Bridge Township opened in 1965 when top speeds in the sport were slightly more than 200 mph.
Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100611/NHRA/100619969#ixzz0qqKUSsG7