The Brant-Wright-Speranza streamliner deploys a chute at the end of its run during the third day of the 63rd annual Bonneville SpeedWeek race on the Bonneville Salt Flats outside Wendover, Utah, August 15, 2011.

A driver at a land speed racing competition on Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats died while attempting to break a speed record, event organizers said.

Chris Raschke, 60, was operating a land speed vehicle at around 3 p.m. local time on Sunday, Aug. 3 when he lost control and crashed about 2.5 miles into the race, the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) said in a release.

He was treated by medical professionals but died from his injuries. The cause of the incident is under investigation, SCTA said.

Dane Lerdahl, public information officer for the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office, said in a release that the office is working in coordination with the Bureau of Land Management and SCTA "to determine the circumstances surrounding the crash."

"We extend our sincere condolences to Mr. Raschke’s family, friends, and the racing community during this difficult time," Lerdahl said.

The accident occurred during SCTA's Speed Week event at the Bonneville Salt Flats, a 12-mile-long, 30,000-acre expanse of hard, white crust comprised mostly of table salt, according to the Bureau of Land Management.

'We are deeply devastated'

Raschke was driving a land speed racing car known as the Speed Demon at the time of the crash, the American Hot Rod Association (AHRF) said in a social media statement.

"To those who knew him on the salt, he was someone who found the perfect balance of friendly and competitive," AHRF said. "Never a usual combination and one that speaks to the quality of his character. We send our deepest sympathies to Chris’s family and friends."

The Speed Demon team acknowledged Raschke's death in a social media statement, asking "everyone to please respect Chris’s family, friends, and the Speed Demon team."

"We are deeply devastated," the statement said.

According to the Speed Demon team's website, Raschke had a long career in motorsports before he began driving the streamliner.

"His knowledge of the entire motorsports industry and its players is invaluable for the Speed Demon team," the team's website says. "He understands the fine details that help the Speed Demon team perform year after year."

Driver may have been going around 300 mph before fatal crash

AHRF said Raschke was traveling "somewhere in the neighborhood of 300mph" at the time of the crash.

According to daily race logs from the SCTA, a vehicle entered under the Speed Demon team was recorded going up to 283 miles per hour before spinning on the track.

(This story has been updated with additional information.)

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Driver dies in 300 mph crash at Bonneville Salt Flats race

Reporting by Melina Khan, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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