HOUSTON – Deputies say a 63-year-old man was killed instantly on impact during what started as a night of fun at the Houston Motorsports Park.
According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, it happened at 9 p.m. Thursday at the track located at N. Lake Houston Parkway and John Ralston.
The man, now identified as Kenny Michalak, was just wrapping up a run on the track. There were no other cars on track and no passenger inside his car.
Witnesses say everything appeared to be going great until the end of the final lap. Spectators told deputies they knew something had taken a terrible twist.
At the point when Michalak was supposed to brake, the tail end of his car reportedly began swaying back and forth.
People could only watch as Michalak careened off the track at full speed, plowing into a row of barrels.
Deputies say he died before paramedics arrived. Investigators are still trying to figure out what went wrong.
The drag strip is only about one eighth of a mile long. However, cars can get up to nearly 200 miles per hour, and there is very little time to stop.
According to the Facebook page for Houston Motorsports Park, Thursday night was private testing between the 4-10 p.m., and the park was charging $200 per vehicle.
All events at the park this weekend have been cancelled.
