NHRA Drag Racer Kalitta Remembered during AMA Dragbike Event at Bristol Dragway

BRISTOL, Tenn. — On the surface, it was a festive Sunday afternoon at Bristol Dragway.

The track announcer was screaming with excitement, fans were crowded near the starting line, and the sound of nitro powered motorcycles echoed throughout Thunder Valley.

Despite the usual heroics of eight-time Top Fuel champion Larry “Spiderman” McBride, there was a different look among competitors and fans at the AMA Dragbike Summer Nationals.

During Saturday’s National Hot Rod Association event in Englishtown, N.J., veteran racer Scott Kalitta died after his Funny Car exploded in flames and crashed at the end of the track.

From weekly sportsman racers to the stars of the NHRA, drag racing has often been described as an extended family where even rivals cooperate and socialize.

The AMA competitors consoled each other Sunday morning at Bristol Dragway during a non-denominational chapel service. A moment of silence was then offered for Kalitta before final eliminations began.

“You can tell just by looking at crew members that everybody is down today,” said McBride, a 30-year drag racer who knew Kalitta. “Something like this definitely makes you think.”

Keith Adams, who assisted on McBride’s bike this weekend at Bristol, formerly worked with the family-run team of NHRA racer Blaine Johnson, who died in a Top Fuel dragster crash during a qualifying run in the 1996 U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.

“We used to keep the Johnson’s Team Winston car at my race shop,” McBride said. “It’s a great drag racing family.”

Bernard Douglas, a 34-year-old resident of Lexington, Ky., competed in the Street ET division during the AMA Summer Nationals.

Douglas said he and his friends understand the risks associated with their radical sport, yet relish the excitement.

“There’s always a chance of something happening,” said Douglas, a multi-time race winner. “A tire can blow, there can be a mechanical problem, anything can happen.
“You have to respect the machine. That’s what keeps you sharp.”

A year and a half ago, Douglas watched in horror as a member of his own family experienced a nightmare during an event.

“My brother had a real bad spill,” Douglas said. “He came off the bike at the 1,000 foot mark down the track and broke his ankle.

“We were all worried about it would affect my brother’s long-term health, but he came back to the sport.”

As of Sunday afternoon, Douglas hadn’t seen the replay or read any news accounts of Kalitta’s gruesome crash.

“I first heard about it during our chapel service,” Douglas said. “I met Scott’s father [Connie] once, and that family has icon status in the drag racing industry. This accident is a great loss to the drag racing community.”

Bristol Motor Speedway media and public relations director Lori Worley has worked closely with NHRA drivers at the annual O’Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol. Saturday’s crash wasn’t the first time she felt hurt from a death within the drag racing brotherhood.

“It just leaves you numb,” Worley said. “These really great guys we’ve lost over the last few years — Darrell [Russell], Eric [Medlen] and now Scott [Kalitta]. You get to know them and you know them not just as racers but as really wonderful people ... It’s very difficult.

“Your heart just hurts for the whole Kalitta family. It’s such a tragedy and it’s a tremendous loss. Scott was an amazing person and a great competitor who was truly passionate about drag racing.”

Bristol Dragway operations manager Jack Cocklin spoke of the raw courage required of drag racers.

“All those guys will tell you the same thing straight-up, they know what they are doing and what might happen before they ever get in their car,” Cocklin said. “It’s a dangerous sport.

“But like the drag racers said on TV Saturday night after Kalitta’s death, drag racing is just in their blood and they’re going to do it.”

Cocklin said he is continually impressed by the acts of camaraderie and fellowship he has witnessed in the pits at drag races.

“It’s amazing to walk around, even during our weekly local races, to see how the folks help each other,” Cocklin said. “The sportsmanship and sense of family that goes into this sport at all levels really is amazing.

“When one competitor has a problem with their car, all sorts of folks will come over to loan parts and help.”

While Cocklin didn’t know Kalitta on a personal level, he did have a working relationship with the Kalitta Motorsports team founded by the legendary Connie Kalitta.

“The drivers always wave when they see our Bristol Dragway uniform,” Cocklin said. “ Scott was one of those guys who kept a smile on his face. He will be missed, that’s for sure.”

A couple of Kalitta’s fellow drivers mentioned Saturday night that it seemed somehow fitting that Kalitta died doing exactly what he loved.

While Cocklin agreed with that statement, he said it doesn’t ease the pain of his friends and fans.

“It’s horrible, and it seems like it’s been happening too much,” Cocklin said.

Moments before Sunday’s finals in the Top Fuel category, McBride was shaken when his leather driving suit caught on fire after a problem with the supercharger on his bike.

Though still rattled, McBride returned to his pits to meet with fans, repair his bike for the finals and talk with a reporter.

“I wouldn’t want to go out that way,” McBride said, referring to Kalitta’s fateful crash. “We’re all taking chances out here, though.”

agregory@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2544