UNION GROVE, Wis. — A Will County man driving at a drag racing track in southeastern Wisconsin was killed when he lost control of his car while driving 154 mph.
Clyde Gendusa, 56, of Frankfort was reportedly performing a solo "test and tune" time run when the crash occurred at about 6:40 p.m. Saturday at Great Lakes Dragaway.
Gendusa was driving his modified Chevrolet Camaro in the Modified Super Stock Car Class, according the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department.
"As soon as he crossed the finish line, the back end started to wobble back and forth," said Paris Fire Chief Rich Perkins, who was at the event with an ambulance crew.
The car hit a guardrail, flipped end-over-end several times and struck a light pole, Perkins said.
Gendusa's car produced a puff of smoke after completing the run, and the drag chute designed to slow down the car did not deploy, the department said.
Sheriff's investigators reported there was evidence that the engine had a hole in the block, which contributed to the loss of control.
Gendusa suffered multiple injuries and was taken by ambulance to Aurora Medical Center in Kenosha. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
The Labor Day weekend was the largest weekend of racing for the drag strip this year. Racing continued after the crash Saturday.
The last fatal accident at the Dragaway was in 1998, when a dragster veered off the track and killed a freelance photographer who was standing near the guardrail.
From the GLD web site:
A race accident involving Clyde Gendusa of Frankfort, ILL, occurred on Saturday, August 30th, at approximately 6:39 PM at Great Lakes Dragaway. The driver was performing a test and tune time run. Upon completing a quarter mile pass at approximately 8.5 seconds@150 MPH, the participant's motor expired, which resulted in the driver losing control of his vehicle after driving over the resulting oil and coolant discharge from the blown engine. Flight for Life was called in and the participant was taken to Aurora Hospital, Kenosha, WI, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
We here at Great Lakes Dragaway wish to express our sincere condolences to Clyde's family and friends. Please keep the Gendusa family in your thoughts and prayers
Bad year for deaths in Drag Racing. I know of 6 NHRA drivers, all sportsman iirc, that have been killed this year. That is just NHRA, who knows how many more in other sanctioning bodies?
That totally sucks...on a lighter note...154 mph! Holy shit that's flying in the quarter!...Guess we won't be running topless there anymore, the rules usually tighten after an accident like this...
Interesting to think that an F1, NASCAR or Indy car that usually runs 150 to 200 MPH has millions put towards safety testing then you take a drag racer who has what I call basic safety items and runs at the same speeds. It's a wonder more drag racers don't die. I personally think drag racing should up the standards for safety for these kinds of racers. (not saying this would have saved the guys life)
Drag racing at those speeds is serious business and safety is lacking in my opinion.
Yeah, I think sometimes we or at least I am not as careful as I should be in this car and it is only by the grace of God that I am still here. No one is immune to this kinda thing....
Drag racing at those speeds is serious business and safety is lacking in my opinion.
I doubt I agree with you Toby but I'd have to know more about dragstrip safety requirements. Regardless you're comparing apples to oranges when you compare multi-million dollar F1, IRL and NASCAR teams to a weekend dragracer. He died doing what he loved, beats dying of cancer. RIP.
oh I agree Chuck and that was my point...apples to oranges. Totally different but I feel the dangers are greater in a "average Joe" drag race car at 150 than an F1 car at the same speed.
But I bet he would rather be enjoying another weekend of racing over being 6 foot under.
not a huge point I was trying to make at all..just something that popped into my head after I read the post.
Gotta find a balance. The draggers know the risks. They have the rules and are responsible for they're own equipment. Contraire to popular belief, I DO feel there are expenses too great for safety, otherwise we'd all be relegated to video games.
What is odd is that drag racing can go on for years on track and not have one death. Now this year they are more common place.
What really gets me is the ricers, the crap they race is bound to take a few lives. Just wait, it is only a matter of time before they start to crash and get killed in those tin cans.
Right now the tracks are catering to them, money and getting them off the streets are the main reasons. I see more and more safety rules changes almost weekly in the rice classes. National Dragster has updates listed in it when they come out. This supplements the rule book with the new updates.
Sorry to spot his name on a search. Grew up with Clyde on the Island in Chicago. Went through a fence on the back of a motorcycle with him as a kid. Hope his family if any is well. Remember a brother.
Sorry to spot his name on a search. Grew up with Clyde on the Island in Chicago. Went through a fence on the back of a motorcycle with him as a kid. Hope his family if any is well. Remember a brother.
Great first post nOOb..bring up a dead thread, no pun intended!
