The pilot Chris Raschke dies when his 450km/h car crashed while sought to beat a ground speed record

Chris Raschke with a red hat and a racing suit. — Photo foot, Chris Raschke had extensive experience in high -speed tests.

- Author, Max Matza
- Author's title, BBC News
August 5, 2025

The organizers of a race in the famous Bonneville Salar in Utah, USA, confirmed that a veteran pilot died Sunday in an accident at 455 km/h when he tried to beat the speed record on the ground.

The pilot Chris Raschke lost control of his rocket -shaped vehicle after having advanced three kilometers, according to a statement from the Southern California Chronicle Association, organized by the speed week, an event that has been held since the 1940s.

Raschke was treated for his wounds, but died at the scene, according to the organizers. The cause of the accident is still investigated.

The director of the race, Keith Pedersen, declared that his death was a hard blow to the entire community of the races.

“It is much more a camaraderie and a community, and that creates many friendships and trust,” Pedersen said. “He is a great part of it, and he will miss him a lot.”

Last year, the pilot had managed to reach a speed of 737 km/h in the speed of speed, according to the specialized magazine Hot Rod.

The Speed Demon team declared himself “deeply desolate” for his death.

Raschke was driving the Speed Demon III, the latest version of the equipment vehicle.

Steve Watt, team leader, told BBC News that Raschke died while performing a test, known as “Shakedown”, and that the car did not even “even at medium speed.”

“It was supposed to be an easy race,” he said Tuesday.

“We don't know what happened,” he said, adding that no mechanical failure was known.

The rocket -shaped vehicle — Photo foot, It was he was the speed demon III.

“Chris will beat records in heaven”

Race announcer Brian Lohnes paid tribute to the pilot in the magazine Hot Rodand said that Raschke was “a pillar of an industry, was a skilled driver of one of the fastest wheel vehicles in history.”

“And he was, like so many of us, totally consumed by the cars and the universe that surrounds them.”

The vitreous surface of the Bonneville Salar attracts pilots around the world and appears in films such as “Independence Day” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: at the end of the world.”

The prehistoric lake bed is located about 160 km west of Salt Lake City, and housed its first motorized race in 1914.

The current ground speed record for wheel vehicles is located at 1,227 km/h, established by the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom Andy Green in 1997 in the Black Rock desert, in Nevada.

On Facebook, the New Zealand team Kiwi Coupe was one of those who paid tribute to Raschke.

“Our thoughts are with Chris's family and also with all Bonneville's condolid family … because all those who venture in salt to go fast are family,” wrote a team member.

Another praised the pilot for having helped them solve their motor problems: “Chris will beat records in the sky.”

This article was written and edited by our journalists with the help of an artificial intelligence tool for translation, such as Part of a pilot program.