Living life in the fast lane is dangerous. We’ve seen Dale Earnhardt tragically lose his life on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. And who can forget three-time Formula 1 champion Ayrton Senna’s disastrous crash into a concrete barrier at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix? The racing community has seen many big names lose their lives in pursuit of making gains on the track, and it looks like another big name has been added to the list. This time around, it was a veteran driver and longtime grassroots racing supporter.

Chris Raschke passed away on Sunday, August 3, following a crash during Bonneville Speed Week in Utah. The 60-year-old was piloting the Speed Demon III streamliner when the incident occurred, and despite receiving medical attention immediately, he succumbed to his injuries.

Chris Raschke tragically passed away at the Bonneville Salt Flats

Chris Raschke has been there and done that. He started as the first official employee at Ventura Raceway back in the early 1980s, and learned everything there is to know about track operations while simultaneously running three-wheelers and mini stocks. Apart from being a racer, Raschke was also a competent mechanic and regularly worked on TQ midgets and Sprint Cars before joining Duttweiler Performance in 1983. That’s where he learned fabrication and race car prep under the guidance of engine builder Kenny Duttweiler.

Raschke worked his way up the ladder, eventually getting promoted to ARP in 1996, where he rose to Director of Sales and Marketing. He has also been a core member of the Speed Demon Racing Team since 1996, and was behind the wheel in 2024 when his team won the Hot Rod Magazine Trophy with a five-mile average of 446.716 mph. However, he wasn’t so lucky this time around, as his Speed Demon III streamliner went in the air around the 2.5-mile mark at nearly 300 mph during a run on Course 1.

The incident occurred just over a year after his teammate, George Poteet, unexpectedly died of pulmonary embolism at the age of 75. Raschke, on the other hand, lost his life doing what he loved. Driving at 300 mph and trying to set a new land speed record, the veteran crashed after going airborne, and even though he was treated on the scene and airlifted for medical aid, the 60-year-old eventually succumbed to injuries. The incident shook the racing community, as Chris Raschke had reached even higher speeds in the past.

The western Utah flats have always been a popular place for racers who are attempting to break land speed records. The surface is smooth and grass-like, and the dry lakebed on the border of Utah and Nevada has a lot of empty space to attempt such feats. Raschke has spent nearly four decades racing the custom-made, cone-shaped vehicle named Speed Demon III, but his luck ran out this time around.

Motorsports community mourns Raschke’s loss

Chris Raschke had taken over driving the previous iteration of the Speed Demon when his teammate, George Poteet, passed away. However, that vehicle has been retired since then and is set to be displayed at the Speedway Museum. This time around, the third iteration of Speed Demon, featuring a red, white, and blue livery, made its debut with a shake-down run on Saturday. Inspired by Jim Knapp’s streamliner, the vehicle was redesigned to use the same Kenny Duttweiler Chevrolet V-8 powerplants.

Naturally, Raschke was pretty excited at the prospect of racing with the third iteration of Speed Demon. After the incident occurred, Speed Demon 715 issued a statement on social media, saying, “At this time, we ask everyone to please respect Chris’s family, friends, and the Speed Demon team. We are deeply devastated. 🫶 If you come across any inappropriate comments on our pages, please let us know so we can address them. Thank you for your understanding.”

They weren’t the only ones who mourned Chris Raschke’s loss. Race director Keith Pedersen told KUTV, “It’s much more of a camaraderie and community, and that builds a lot of friendships and trust. He’s a big part of it, and he will be sorely missed.” Known as a fierce competitor on the track, he was also a beloved husband, father off it. The racer leaves behind an unmatched legacy that will be remembered for years to come.