The last racing death Sullivan recalled at the flats came in 2016 when Sam Wheeler, a renowned land speed motorcycle racer, crashed at 200 mph (321 kilometers) when the high-performance bike he was testing fish-tailed and went airborne.
The Bonneville Salt Flats, which had its first race in 1914, have about 7 miles for racing and an aquifer underneath that cools the tires of the cars. It’s unlike other race venues in that it doesn’t have stands. Spectators must stand two-tenths of a mile away from the cars. Raschke lost control of the vehicle about two and a half miles into a run. It’s unknown what speed Raschke was aiming to reach. The association and the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the death, said Sgt. Dane Lerdahl, a spokesman for the law enforcement agency. “We know it was an accident of some sort,” Lerdahl said. For decades, people have used the flat, glasslike surface at Bonneville Salt Flats, 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Salt Lake City, to set speed records, sometimes topping 400 mph (644 kph). Speed Week has long been a draw for motorcycle and car fans.
Raschke, 60, was the driver of a streamliner — a long, narrow, aerodynamic car made to run at high speeds — known as the Speed Demon. He had worked in motor sports for more than four decades.
According to the Speed Demon racing team’s site, Raschke worked at the Ventura Raceway in the early 1980s, raced 3-wheelers and cars in the mini stock division, learned to fabricate and maintain race cars when working with an acclaimed engine builder and later became a driver for the Speed Demon team. Keith Pedersen, the association’s president and Speed Week race director, said Raschke was a respected driver within the racing community and also worked for a company that makes fasteners for race cars.
“He is one of the big ones. He had done all sorts of racing,” Pedersen said.
The Race Week event began on Saturday and runs through Friday.