AA/FC RACER ROGER GARTEN PASSES FOLLOWING RACING ACCIDENT
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Roger Garten, 69, a nostalgia Funny Car racer who drove the War Horse Mustang, died Sunday June 28. Garten was involved in a two-car crash with racer Matt Bynum, but there is no confirmation at this point that Garten died as the result of injuries sustained in the accident.
"Our thoughts are with Roger's family," said Blake Bowser, track general manager, in a statement tothe Bakersfield Californian newspaper. "Roger was a class act and always made it a point to say hello to all the staff here at Famoso. I can only hope to enjoy my retirement the way Roger did. I will miss him for sure!"
Garten was competing in the Saturday Night Nitro event in Bakersfield, Ca., when his car left the starting line and veered right into Bynum's car. Both cars shed their bodies, with Garten's car coming to rest along the left retaining wall. Bynum's car came to a stop in the right lane shutdown area and he was uninjured.
Safety crews had to cut Garten from his car before transporting him to the Kern Medical Center by ambulance.
Garten's death is the second at the track since March 2008 when Nostalgia Top Fuel racer John Shoemaker was killed in a racing accident.
