Drag racer dies in crash in Washington

[cbdo2007]

(CNN) -- Officials will conduct an autopsy Monday on Mark Niver, a drag racer who died when the parachute came off the back of his dragster -- sending him slamming into the netting at the end of the track.

Niver, 60, was taking part in the National Hot Rod Association's Lucas Oil Northwest Nationals in Seattle, Washington, on Sunday.

After the parachute came off, he was able to slow the car a bit before plowing into the net fencing at the end of the drag strip.

The death was the second this year in the association's drag racing series.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/SPORT/07/12/washington.drag.race.death/index.html?hpt=T2

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This sounded odd to me so of course I had to go over to Youtube to see if there was video. Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX3Rv7rbHnw

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You can see that the fence at the end is actually what killed him because the car was slowing down in the sand? Why in the world put a fence at the end of a race track??? Just have them keep going in sand or let the track run into a grass field or foam or tires. They might just as well have put up a brick wall. I dont' know much about drag racing but good grief this was crazy and sad for the driver.