Jet drag racing legend Doug Rose died at the age of 80, after crashing his jet engine-powered car "Green Mamba" during an exhibition run at Norway Speedway, Michigan.
Longtime drag racer Doug Rose was on the third-of-a-mile paved oval located in Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, on Friday, 17 August 2018 evening, at the helm of his "Green Mamba", powered by a Navy surplus J46 Westinghouse jet engine out of a 1956-era F7U fighter plane. At about 19:15 Rose was taking his jet car around the track at slow speed, when the vehicle for reasons unknown, began to accelerate while approaching turn 1. Rose tried to make the curve but the jet car went straight against the guardrail, flipped over and bursts into flames.
Reportedly, Doug Rose suffered a medical emergency prior to the crash. Owing to the fatal crash, the meeting was suspended and racing resumed only the next day.
Originally from Wisconsin, Doug Rose had lived in Tampa, Florida, since the early 2000s, before settling in Ringtown, Pennsylvania. He had designed and built his jet dragster "Green Mamba" by himself, with the help of race-car builder Teddy Kempgens, driving it in exhibition events all over the country, for more than 35 years. He also served as a track photographer at many local Wisconsin area race tracks and at racing events.
A drag racing enthusiast, Doug Rose was fascinated by speed and started working for jet dragster pioneers, the half-brothers Art and Walt Arfons in the 1960s, driving occasionally at dragstrips Arfons' famous "Green Moster". Rose had both his legs amputated just below his knees, as a result of an accident which happened during an exhibition run on the damp dragstrip of Cedar Hills Dragway in Virginia in July 1966. Less than three months later, with his new artificial legs, Doug Rose was back in the cockpit. He wore prosthetics for the rest of his life.
R.I.P
