Last Updated on March 23, 2019 by CCAR Staff
The driver of a dragster at a racetrack near San Jacinto died Friday, March 22, when his vehicle crashed, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said.
The crash happened on the first of three days of racing for the Southern California Sand Drag Association at 23333 Soboba Road.
Riverside County Coroner’s Office records said the driver was 43-year-old Marcus Norris, of Lichfield Park, Arizona. Lichfield Park is approximately 25 miles west of Phoenix.
The crash was reported about 2:45 p.m. The dragster went off the end of the track, over a berm and overturned in a dry wash, California Highway Patrol Officer Darren Meyer said.
Officials said Norris was declared dead at 3 p.m.
The Sheriff’s Department is investigating the crash. Racing was shut down for the rest of Friday for the investigation, and a decision was being made on whether the races would continue Saturday, Officer Michael Vasquez said.
A witness said the engine of the Top Fuel dragster did not shut down.
A previous version of this story incorrectly described the race as being affiliated with the Soboba Casino Resort. While the Soboba tribe owns the land, it does not organize the races or operate the track.
