Napa Drag Racer Killed In Crash At Sonoma Raceway

A 74-year-old drag racer died Wednesday evening after he hit a wall at the Sonoma Raceway, a 2.52-mile road course located in the southern Sonoma Mountains in California.

The news was confirmed by the County Sheriff's Office. Authorities said the car was being driven at 100mph or more when it slammed into the wall on the raceway.

The incident took place around 6:15 p.m. local time (9:15 p.m. EDT) and the death was first reported by the California Highway Patrol, CBS San Francisco reported.

The man was identified as a resident of Napa, California, and reports stated he was driving his 1976 Ford Pinto at the time of the accident. His name was not released by the authorities.

The report further stated the mishap occurred during Wednesday Night Drags, which is a community program held each year from March to November. The program opens the race track to 300 vehicles each night and all of them are required to pass a technical inspection. Wednesday Night Drags reportedly aims at providing a “safe, legal and controlled” racing environment.

After the incident, the raceway authorities said this accident is the first on-track death that occurred in the program’s 30-year history.

What is Drag Racing?

According to Encyclopedia Britannica, drag racing is a form of motor racing that originated in the United States in which automobiles or motorcycles race (usually two at a time) from the start point till the end on a drag strip, a ¼ mile long flat and straight course.

During some competitions, the elapsed time is calculated in seconds and final speed is calculated in miles per hour to determine the winner. However, in most events the winner is usually the one who crosses the finish line.

Before the match, contestants line up on either side of an electronic starting device known as a Christmas tree. Each driver then interrupts a pair of infrared beams as he approaches the starting line.