This afternoon, on the salt at Bonneville for Speed Week 2025, I said hi to Chris and took a few pictures of him in the Speed Demon 715 streamliner. Then I shot a few more as he left the starting line. I never imagined it would be the last time I saw him or the last time he’d drive a race car. Just a few moments later, Chris crashed the Speed Demon streamliner going somewhere around 300 miles per hour after losing control at about the 2.5 mile mark on the Long Course. Unfortunately, despite safety and medical crews getting to him quickly and administering medical aid, Chris didn’t make it. Our sincere condolences go out to his wife, family, everyone at ARP, and the entire Speed Demon crew.
I first met Chris Raschke in January of 2008 at a media trade conference where we were meeting with many aftermarket companies to discuss editorial, advertising, and a new venture that David Freiburger and I were putting together called Car Junkie TV. I was hardly anybody in the industry at the time, but was tagging along wherever Freiburger took me and despite being a nobody, Chris acted like I was just as important as anyone else at the conference. He and the ARP brand that he represents have been advertisers with us at Car Junkie TV and BANGshift.com ever since, and on more than one occasion he would call me up and tell me to come down for a tour of the facility with a new group of people that had never been before. It was usually some crew chiefs or racers, and was always a good time. I have many fond memories from those times, and will miss his infectious smile and laugh for sure.
I know I’m not alone when I say that I will miss him, because he was a staple in our industry, a guy who was living his best life, and who was loving his family and friends. In fact, I sit here writing this while still on the salt and am realizing that even though I wish he was still here with us, I know that he was the happiest he’d ever been and was living life to the fullest with family and friends. He was attending events he loved, and ultimately empowering and motivating the rest of us to do the same. It’s hard not to think that’s pretty cool. While he hadn’t been driving Speed Demon nearly as long as his friend George Poteet had, he was easily just as passionate and excited about it as George, and that’s saying something. His focus, energy, and passion were truly infectious.
We try not to sensationalize news around here, and I debated whether to write something so soon, but it just felt right and I hope that all of his family and friends understand how much we appreciate them sharing Chris with the rest of us. He was a really good dude, doing really good things, and we love him for it.
God Speed Chris… I bet you look great up there in your Black Hat.
