Darrell Russell (drag racer)
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Darrell Russell (September 20, 1968 – June 27, 2004) was an NHRA drag racer. He was the 2001 NHRA Rookie Of The Year. At the time, he was only the third driver to win in his Professional debut.
In four seasons of competition in NHRA Top Fuel Dragsters, he compiled a record of 106 round wins versus 75 loses. He won six events and was runner-up at eleven others, out of eighty-one events entered.
He was fatally injured during eliminations at the Sears Craftsman Nationals in Madison, Illinois when his dragster broke up and burst into flames after he crossed the finish line. One of the rear Goodyear tires blew out, and a portion of the tire broke the rear wing off, which caused a loss of downforce that made the car go out of control and into the retaining wall then flipping twice.
He died of severe head injuries. Russell is the first racer to be killed at an NHRA national event since 1996. Gateway named one of its grandstands "The Darrell Russell Stand" in his memory.
He was interred in the Klein Cemetery in Pinehurst, Texas in Montgomery County.
Immediately after Russell's death, Goodyear released an improved version of the tire that is used on all NHRA top fuel cars. The new tires were a harder compound, to prevent failures, and designed to expand less, to slow the cars down slightly.
NHRA required that all top fuel cars switch to the new tires for the next race. NHRA also reduced the maximum nitromethane content of the fuel from 90% to 85%, changed the maximum primary rear wing element angle to 2 degrees positive (measured when dragster is at rest), and required that top fuel cars install a 2mm (0.090-inch) thick titanium shield on the portion of the rollcage that is behind the driver's head. They also required that the rear tires have no less than the minimum manufacturer recommended tire pressure (7psi). To enforce this, Goodyear officials checked the rear tire pressures at the starting line, and added some if necessary.
