Scott Kalitta perished when his Toyota Solara exploded into flames at about 300 mph. Kalitta, who had 18 career victories, was 46.
"We are deeply saddened and want to pass along our sincere condolences to the entire Kalitta family," the NHRA said in a statement. "Scott shared the same passion for drag racing as his legendary father, Connie. He also shared the same desire to win, becoming a two-time series world champion. He left the sport for a period of time, to devote more time to his family, only to be driven to return to the drag strip to regain his championship form. ... He will be truly missed by the entire NHRA community."
Kalitta was the Top Fuel season champion in 1994 and 1995, and 17 of his 18 victories were in the Top Fuel, with one being in the Funny Car competition.
Scott Kalitta Fatal Crash 6/21/08
This is the second Funny Car death in about a year, as Eric Medlen died last year in an accident while on a test run.
Scott is survived by his wife Kathy; sons Corey, 14, and Colin, 8, along with his father.
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