Johnson Dies In Crash After Hitting 300 Mph In Qualifying

Blaine Johnson, the NHRA Winston Top Fuel points leader, died Saturday from injuries sustained when his car went out of control going 300 mph during qualifying for the NHRA U.S. Nationals at Clermont, Ind.

Johnson, 34, died at 2:17 p.m. after several hours of surgery at Methodist Hospital. The exact cause of death was not known.

Johnson, of Santa Maria, Calif., twice slammed into walls after his engine malfunctioned just after he crossed the finish line at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Johnson had just completed a track-record pass of 4.612 seconds, good for the No. 1 qualifying spot, when the accident occurred in the shutdown area in the left lane.

After the engine on Johnson’s dragster malfunctioned, the resulting debris cut a rear tire and sent the car out of control.

Johnson is the first Top Fuel driver to be killed at an NHRA national event since February 1971, when Pete Robinson died at the Winternationals at Pomona, Calif.

Terry Labonte ended a 16-year drought at Darlington (S.C.) International Raceway by holding off pole-sitter Mark Martin over the final 33 laps to win the Dura-Lube 200.

The victory in the NASCAR Busch Grand National tuneup to the Southern 500 ended Martin’s dominance at the track.

Labonte led twice for 66 laps, averaging 128.582 mph in a race slowed for 20 laps by four caution flags. All came in the early stages of the $292,434 event.

Spokane’s Chad Little finished 12th.

Alex Zanardi outdueled Michael Andretti for the pole in today’s Vancouver (B.C.) Molson Indy. Zanardi turned a fast-lap 113.576 to Andretti’s 112.526.