As printed by the Toronto Sun this morning, 17 year old Kendall Hebert was killed during a demonstration run this weekend when her jet dragster suddenly turned into the trackside wall.
As a lifelong motorsports competitor and parent of a child who races, these stories always hurt. Traditional media outlets often sensationalize the story and try to point fingers. Often they will claim that the youth had no place in a racing car. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Hebert was from a racing family, where Dad had raced for years and her sister races a junior dragster. I have no doubt in my mind that the Hebert family takes safety and training as seriously as our family does. No matter what the sport, there are always risks and in todays world, racing tends to be safer than most other sports.
Our thoughts go out to the Hebert family and the drag racing community.
4 comments ↓
I met kendall afew years ago at martin us 131, i was the burn box guy. The first time i met Kendall she came onto my track with this very serious look on her face. That’s the kind of person she was i the moment she stepped onto the track. Time after time she came on the track very serious. I just couldn’t take it any more, I took her aside told her (we get to race we don’t have to race… smile some your face won’t break) After that she would still come to the line serious, stop short by me crack a big ol smile head to the the and make sure she took care of business and come back smilin. This year we pitted not to far away from kendalls dad and her at the northern nats. at us 131. we were with chuck stirdavant and crew. had fun times with everybody. it was fun to see kendall and lucas hang out they were great friends. I talked with Kendall that night about driving jets, it was very clear to me that this was a very big passion. This was exactally what this youg lady wanted to do. Having met dad and watching this family race, they took racing and safety very serious. I believe that she was very qualified to be there and she earned it!!!! As a dad my heart hurts very badly for the family, my prayers are with you god bless Rick Tolar
Kendall was the sweetest & most prettiest girl i’ve ever known I was and still am so proud of everything that she accomplished she and her family are in my thoughts everyday oxox wish you all the best and much love !!
Love Always,
Nathalie Bourassa
Kendall. not a million words can describe you, you were my hero, my idol my best friend my s f a m, but yet nothing seems right with out you. You were the one that new most about me, I would tell you everything and anything and you would help me get through, now I have no one i can tell myproblems to because i can never trust anyone as much as i trusted you. Heaven must have had a drag strip that needed the best drag racer;a queen to help them so they took you from us
I miss and love you so much.
It does not take long to get to heaven at 306.81 mile per hour.
[...] That’s a pretty incredible feat, but it struck a chord with me. It wasn’t so long ago that we lost young racer Kendall Hebert when a seat belt failed in a crash, which prompted Toronto Star writer Norris Macdonald to pen a diatribe against parents who allow their kids to race. [...]
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