Darrell Russell is one of the most popular and richest Football Defensive Tackle who was born on September 20, 1968 in Houston, Texas, United States.
He died of severe head injuries, even though he was wearing an approved racing helmet (brand unknown). Russell was the first racer to be killed at an NHRA national event since Blaine Johnson, in 1996. Gateway named one of its grandstands “The Darrell Russell Stand” in his memory.
In 2004 at the NHRA Sears Craftsman Nationals at Gateway International Raceway in St. Louis, he was competing in the second round of eliminations against Scott Kalitta when his dragster went out of control and crashed just past the finish line. When the NHRA safety team got to Russell, he was unconscious, but breathing. Russell was extracted from his dragster by NHRA emergency services officials and transported by air to the St. Louis Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead. His dragster broke up after he crossed the finish line. One of the rear Goodyear tires blew out, damaging the back part of the race car. Shrapnel caused by the exploding tire entered the driver’s cockpit from the rear, fatally injuring Russell. Flying debris from the explosion killed him, not the impact from the crash.
