Veteran driver dies after crashing while racing at nearly 300 mph
A veteran high-speed driver died after losing control of his vehicle by leading to nearly 300 miles on Sunday during the Bonneville Speed Week 2025 event in northwestern UTA.
Chris Raschke, 60, was treated by health professionals, but died on the scene of the accident in Bonneville Salt Flats, near Wendover, Utah, according to a press release from the organizer of the California Timing event.
“When you lose someone in the community, it’s still difficult,” said the director of the race and the chairman of the board of directors of SCTA, Keith Pedersen on Tuesday. “And someone also appreciated and known as Chris, it makes him even more difficult.”
In addition to being a “very accomplished racing car driver,” said Pedersen, Raschke was also “very, very friendly, very competitive. But it is also the type of person that if you needed a part or something, he would give it to you and say: “Yes, just bring it back when you have finished”.
According to the Bio Speed Demon Bio Raschke organic page, it was “the first official employee of Ventura Raceway in the early 1980s” and over the years, has been involved in almost all aspects of car sports.
Also an ARP Auto Parts employee, which manufactures ties and other products for racing cars, Raschke worked as part of the Speed Demon crew for more than a decade before becoming a driver for the team.
At the Speed Week of last year, Raschke completed 446 MPH, which, according to Pedersen, was the fastest measured mile during the event. This year, he led the last iteration of his team’s vehicle, the Speed Demon 3. Pederson confirmed that the last speed recorded in Raschke during the Sunday race was 283 mi / h.
An article on Facebook of the Speed Demon Team account said: “For the moment, we ask everyone to respect Chris’ family, friends and the Speed Demon team. We are deeply devastated. “
The Sheriff’s Bureau of Tooele County investigates the death of Raschke, with the help of the SCTA. Sgt. Dan Lerdahl told Times that the accident was considered an accident, although it was not clear at this stage if the cause was “a road problem, a mechanical problem or simply a quirk”.
The race was suspended after the Rashke accident but resumed on Monday. Pedersen said that the cancellation of the event, which takes place until Friday at Bonneville Salt Flats, has never really been consideration.
“We have been doing the speed week for 77 years, and during these years, there have been other deaths here. And it’s still a tragedy,” said Pedersen. “But we are generally gathering. … We mourn and we run. Chris wanted us to run, and we continue to do it.”
