ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, September 2, 1996 TAG: 9609040015
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-7 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CLERMONT, IND.
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports
McClenthan is glad he stopped. He pumped the throttle on his Top Fuel racer and was one of the first to reach Johnson, who died hours later of severe head injuries.
``There would have been two of us there,'' said McClenthan, who had ended his Saturday run in the right lane alongside Johnson after popping a wheelie.
``Somebody was looking after me today,'' he said.
Johnson, 34, died at 5:17 p.m. after surgery at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.
He was 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.
On Sunday, Elmer Trett suffered severe head injuries about 1:30 p.m. when he was lifted from his motorcycle after completing a 232 mph exhibition run at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Trett, 53, of Demorest, Ga., was pronounced dead at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis about an hour later, said hospital spokeswoman Treva Jones.
NHRA officials could not explain why Trett came off his bike. He was riding a Top Fuel Motorcycle, which is not a competition category in the NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series.
``He just lost control when he passed the finish line. We don't know why or how it happened,'' said Jim Edmunds, a NHRA spokesman.
Another driver, Connie Kalitta, owner of an international air jet service, dispatched a plane to bring Johnson's wife, Kym, to Indianapolis from their home in Santa Maria, Calif.
Other drivers refused to blame the accident on the high speeds attained by Top Fuel and Funny Cars.
``We're safer today than we've ever been,'' said Kenny Bernstein, who came into the U.S. Nationals second to Johnson in the National Hot Rod Association point standings.
Johnson twice slammed into the walls at Indianapolis Raceway Park after his engine malfunctioned. He had just completed a track-record run of 4.612 seconds when his engine began spitting out parts and burst into flames.
Johnson is survived by his wife and 9-year-old son Tyler.
LENGTH: Short : 49 lines KEYWORDS: FATALITYby CNB