Monday, September 22, 2014

Racer Killed On Nevada Highway

Sad this happened but the guy died doing what he enjoyed.
From the LVRJ:
A driver was killed Sunday in a crash near the finish line of an unusual race that shuts down a rural Nevada highway twice a year to let car enthusiasts drive as fast as they can.
Philip Bowser, 71, of San Jose, Calif., died when his silver 1997 Porsche 998 rolled and burst into flames about 120 miles north of Las Vegas on the final curve of the Silver State Classic Challenge, which runs along state Route 318 in Lincoln, Nye and White Pine counties.
Lincoln County Sheriff Kerry Lee said Bowser was entered in the 150 mph division so he was trying to complete the 90 mile course at an average speed of at least 150 mph.
Bowser’s daughter, Amy, was riding with him as his navigator. The 44-year-old Reno woman escaped the crash with minor injuries, Lee said, but she was unable to get her father out of the car once it caught fire.
Bowser’s brother also was entered in the race and was on the course when the crash occurred, Lee said.
The competition was halted after the accident, but racing resumed about three hours later before being cancelled altogether by stormy weather about 3 p.m. Sunday.
Fatal crashes are apparently rare during the Silver State Classic, which boasts a course record top speed of more than 217 mph. Lee said he only knows of three other deaths in the 27-year history of the competition, including a crash in 2011 that killed a driver and his navigator.
That’s not many “considering what they’re doing,” Lee said. “They take a lot of precautions.”
Race organizers essentially rent out the highway from the Nevada Department of Transportation, turning it into a private, closed course from about 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. on race days. The Nevada Highway Patrol doesn’t patrol the road during the race, and any crashes that occur are not counted in the state’s highway accident statistics, Lee said.  http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/nevada/driver-killed-crash-during-rural-nevada-road-race
I've never heard of this race before, but it is pretty cool that the organizers can rent out a rural road to hold races on it 2 times a year.

No comments:

Post a Comment