Drag racer, son die in accident at Tulsa Raceway Park

canada.com ^ | 4/3/2005 | Canada Press staff

[BansheeBill]

Drag racer, son die in accident at Tulsa Raceway Park

Canadian Press

Sunday, April 03, 2005

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - A top female drag racer and her son were killed when her car went out of control and struck a support vehicle at Tulsa Raceway Park, police said Sunday.

Michelle (Shelly) Howard, 59, and Brian Howard, 36, were pronounced dead following the Saturday night accident, Sgt. Tim Bracken said.

"When she started off, she lost control of the vehicle and somehow it went airborne, spun itself around and raced back up the speedway," Bracken said.

Her car then hit the car her son was in.

"The estimated speed at the point of impact was 250 miles an hour," Bracken said.

There were no other injuries.

Howard began racing in 1978 and was a three-time national event winner, a Division 4 champion in 2001 and 2003 and the 2004 Jeg's Allstars champion, the NHRA said. She had eight divisional event wins.

She was a registered nurse and is survived by her husband, Dr. Paul Howard, and daughters Jennifer and Tracy, the NHRA said.

Posted for informational and discussion purposes only, not for commercial use.

[BansheeBill]

What a horrible tragedy for this family.

The following was posted at ESPN in the NHRA Racing forum:

Automobile racing, regardless of the venue, is a dangerous business. It goes without saying that those who participate in the racing universe and those who ardently follow the action from the safety of the grandstands or their TV rooms understand the risks.

But even the most rock steady fan of the NHRA and its Lucas Oil Sportsman division has truly been shaken and saddened by the freak accident in Tulsa, Okla., on Saturday evening that claimed the life of Top Alcohol Dragster star Shelly Howard and her son, Brian.

The details of the accident will surely be discussed and dissected over time as the tragedy continues to sink in. According to reports, the 59-year-old Shelly was making a test pass in a newly delivered racecar at Tulsa Raceway Park when the dragster's front end lifted vertically somewhere near half-track, sending it into an uncontrollable blowover.

The car crashed heavily back onto the racing surface facing the starting line. Then, with her husband, Paul, looking on helplessly, the racecar accelerated back toward the starting line at high speed, crashing into the team's tow vehicle which was parked at the starting line with Shelly's son, 36-year-old Brian, sitting inside the cab.

Shelly and Brian lost their lives almost simultaneously in what those in attendance have described as one of the sport's most horrifying mishaps. Police estimated the car hit the truck at 250 mph. And while the accident itself is an unspeakably freakish tragedy, the circumstances and magnitude of the two lives ultimately lost seem to add an even greater dimension of inexplicable sadness to what was witnessed.

"She was certainly a great competitor and a great champion with the NHRA,'' Anthony Vestal, director of media relations for the NHRA, told the Tulsa World.

"Certainly, incidents involving a fatality are very rare. We have millions of cars go down the track each year and while there are incidents, the results being that extreme are very rare.''

Shelly Howard was a standout racer, a former Division 4 champion, a former registered nurse who won respect from everyone she encountered with her quiet manner, unquestioned driving skills, and devotion to her family, fans and crew. She also leaves behind two daughters, Jennifer and Tracy, and a legion of friends who came to know and admire her through her NHRA exploits.

Another bright light has been lost in the NHRA family as the sport has barely had time to heal from last year's loss of Top Fuel's Darrell Russell, another native of the state of Texas.

The cause, the outcome, and the aftermath of Saturday's nightmarish accident in Tulsa are all secondary to the magnitude of deep mourning that has swept across the hearts of drag racing fans everywhere.

Simply stated, this one really hurt and as we all offer our sincerest prayers and condolences to the Howard family, we will have to accept that it will take time to put these painful moments behind us.

Bill Stephens covers NHRA for ESPN.com.

The following was posted by a friend of the driver, Shelly Howard, on a web auto discussion forum:

Shelly was a friend. We talked every month or so. I went to F/C and T/F a long time ago and we still remained friends (inside joke). We all know what can happen but this does not make this any easier.

God, I am going to miss her. Anyone who knew her will state the same. This is a tragedy magnified.

And Paul and the girls I cannot imagine the devastation to losing 2/5 of the family and being there in a horrific situation. Plesse keep them in your thoughts.

Brian was handicapped but had one hell of a personality. Brian was Shelly's personal mission in life. He could not get out of the tow vehicle.

God Speed Shelly and Brian. We will miss you so much and we are all the less without having you around.

Services will be at 11:00 AM on Wed. April 6, 2005
Newspring Assembly of God Church
2907 W. 108 Pl. S.
Jenks, OK

Jenks is a suburb South of Tulsa.

Intersection of Hwy 75 & Creek Turnpike Hwy 75 & 111th St. South

At traffic light turn East 1 block

The family has asked in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Racers For Christ in memory of Shelly and Special Olympics in memory of Brian.

FOR SHELLY HOWARD

SEND DONATIONS TO: RACERS FOR CHRIST
PO BOX 1208
GILBERT, AZ 885299-1208

FOR BRIAN HOWARD

SEND DONATIONS TO: SPECIAL OLYMPICS
1133 19TH STREET
WASHINGTON,DC 20036
WWW.SPECIALOLYMPICS.ORG

[nuconvert]

Bizarre accident. Tragic

[digger48]

just......damn!

[umgud]

just......damn!

just damn ditto

[Monkey Face]

I love the smell of high octane and burnt rubber in the mornings. Afternoons and evenings, too. My prayers go to the survivors.

[Supernatural]

How sad. I've been a drag racing fan since the mid-60's and this is the most bizarre accident I've ever heard of.

It was just their day to die. No other way to explain it.

[B4Ranch]

ping for the ping list

[BJungNan]

How sad. I've been a drag racing fan since the mid-60's and this is the most bizarre accident I've ever heard of.

John Force doing his nose over was pretty bizarre.

[shaggy eel]

ping

[Supernatural]

Yeah, drag racing sure does produce some fantastic accidents. Usually no one gets hurt seriously because the car flips and rolls. The worst thing you can do at high speed is run into a solid object.

[B4Ranch]

April 4, 2005

The Change to the funeral services are as follows:

Funeral services for Shelly and Brian Howard: Services will now be at 11:00 AM on Wed. April 6, 2005

Newspring Assembly of God Church

2907 W. 108 Pl. S.

Jenks, OK

Jenks is a suburb South of Tulsa.

Intersection of Hwy 75 & Creek Turnpike Hwy 75 & 111th St. South

At traffic light turn East 1 block

The family has asked in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Racers For Christ in memory of Shelly and Special Olympics in memory of Brian.

The memorial page will be presented starting later today.

Shelly Howard and son Brian .........remember

[B4Ranch]

Do you have the ping list?

[ChefKeith]

Done, thanks

[ChefKeith]

Thanks for posting this,

Prayers to the Family and Friends.

Racing in ANY form is inherently dangerous and the Drivers All know it.

[NYTexan]

What a tragedy! prayers up!

[ChefKeith]

I wonder how long before NHRA institutes a manditory engine kill switch like the Monster Trucks have had and NASCAR added a few years ago.

[flutters]

[blastdad51]

Wow!! I'm a NASCAR fan who never heard of this lady before but this really sucks the oxygen out of the room. Prayer go out to her family.

I was just in Tulsa 2 weeks ago on vacation, this is really sad.

Bdad

[B4Ranch]

I wonder if the strong torques that these cars go through make the switches undesirable because of kills that aren't needed?

[ChefKeith]

I was thinking that they would go with the type like the Monster Trucks use, run by the track safety crew.