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There has been a serious accident in NHRA funny car qualifying at Englishtown. While trying to qualify into the event, Scott Kalitta's nitro funny car exploded into a ball of fire (VIDEO - Warning: Video of a fatal accident, this video is graphic), and he has been transported to a nearby New Jersey hospital. RacingForTheWin.com has heard from sources at East Coast Drag News that Scott Kalitta died after his car erupted and slammed into a concrete wall. The NHRA said he died of "multiple injuries."
Scott Kalitta was born on February 18, 1962 in Snead Island, Florida. He was the son of legendary NHRA crew chief and racer Connie Kalitta and the cousin of teammate Doug Kallita. He was a father of two children. He was a husband. He was a son. He was a good friend to many competitors on the NHRA circuit. And, most importantly, he was a decent person who died doing what he loves to do, racing.
Scott began his long racing career in the 1980s at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, and scored his first NHRA win at Houston in the Funny Car class. He then made the move to top fuel, and found success there as well, collecting his first career win there in Topeka in 1993. That career came to an end at the same track it began.
Scott Kalitta was the 1994 and 1995 NHRA Top Fuel dragster champion, and finished 2nd in the 1996 season points. In 1997, he announced his retirement. However, Kalitta would return to racing just two years later, but it would be quickly aborted. Kalitta returned to Top Fuel dragster in 2003, and recorded a top five points finish in 2004. Scott would answer again, the following season, with two victories.
In 2006, Scott began racing in Funny Car once more, but would have little success in the following two seasons. In 2007, he would fail to make the big show in seven events, and missed the Countdown to the Championship. He was on the way to making the show in Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, where he started his career, when something went terribly wrong.
He crashed and the car exploded into a ball of fire at over 300 mph. His car careened head on through a catchfence and into a concrete wall at the end of the track. Witnesses say the car slammed into the wall and then dove up and over the wall like a rocket. Video from the top end of the track has not been released by the NHRA.
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