[protruck70]

Just a thought here. I am old enough to remember when the jet and rocket cars were killing a bunch of guys. A speed limit was imposed. Instead of giving the crew chiefs an obstacle to overcome like taking away fuel,compression boost etc. Set a speed limit at 300 m.p.h. Break the speed limit...You lose. Simple as that! Then crew chiefs will use all that brain power in the desired direction??

I'm old too, but I don't remember the rocket cars being that fast or them losing drivers and having speed controling incidents. They have never acheived what FC and TF cars have.

I think you may be getting confused with the rocket powered G-Karts that were popular in the 60-70's that I think there were 6 or more drivers killed.

 

[PurpleLX]

I dont get it...

Why not make so that you cant hit a pole or a camera boom at 250mph by moving those items AWAY from the track?

Bingo... That camera boom truck and curved retaining wall should have never been where they were. Aside from the sand trap, side walls, and the catch net, NOTHING should be in that area as far as I am concerned. They are just obstacles begging to be hit by a runaway race car, and are just flat out dangerous.

I can't imagine what they were thinking allowing that camera boom truck to sit where it was; with a 60 to 80'+ boom arm, that thing should have never been sitting in what equates to the middle of the track in the scenario of a runaway car. If your gonna do something stupid like that, why not put a wall across the track too... Someone was totally asleep at the switch on this call.

I'm not sure what you could do with the net retaining posts except mount them better into the retaining sidewalls in such a way as there is perhaps no post sticking out?

In the end, it doesn't matter much now, someone was killed because of all of these things. The only thing we can all hope now is that NHRA and its various committees come up with newer, better policies and specs to minimize the chances of an occurrence like this from ever happening again.

My $0.02 anyway...

 

[SUPERGAS565]

Quote:
Originally Posted by BHRacer
I agree with you Jeremy. Jeggie was on our local radio talk show in Columbus before Norwalk, and Kalitta was brought up. He basically said it was tragic and he felt for his family and all the racers that cared about Scott, but this is drag racing, and if you didn't think everytime you strapped in your car you have the chance to die, you've got blinders on. It doesn't matter how fast the car is, this is a dangerous sport.

BINGO! And i bet connie kalitta realizes that just as much as anyone. If he felt differently, i highly doubt hed have been at the next event sending cars down the track at 300 mph!

I definitely agree....although I do believe as stated previously that a portable catch-net system developed to be deployed by safety personnel would be a huge advancement in stopping a runaway car.
Rick

 

[Jeremy Glass]

Quote:
Originally Posted by BHRacer
I agree with you Jeremy. Jeggie was on our local radio talk show in Columbus before Norwalk, and Kalitta was brought up. He basically said it was tragic and he felt for his family and all the racers that cared about Scott, but this is drag racing, and if you didn't think everytime you strapped in your car you have the chance to die, you've got blinders on. It doesn't matter how fast the car is, this is a dangerous sport.


I definitely agree....although I do believe as stated previously that a portable catch-net system developed to be deployed by safety personnel would be a huge advancement in stopping a runaway car.
Rick

And what happens when said employee doesnt deploy this net on time, or properly?

And what sane person is going to sit at the end of a track ready to immediately deploy a net to stop a burning car going 300 mph?

 

[Shelton_Barrs]

I'm old too, but I don't remember the rocket cars being that fast or them losing drivers and having speed controling incidents. They have never acheived what FC and TF cars have.

I think you may be getting confused with the rocket powered G-Karts that were popular in the 60-70's that I think there were 6 or more drivers killed.

Check this out....

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...ance/features_classic_cars/rocket_men_feature

"Without the rigor of NHRA safety certification, jet cars continued to toast competitors in spectacular ways. The most notorious jet-car accident came in October 1971 near Dallas when Art Arfons -- giving a local newscaster a ride in the Super Cyclops -- lost control at 285 mph, killing his passenger and two track workers. Art retired from driving jet cars after the incident."

"And most onerous of all for the drivers, the NHRA imposes a speed limit currently 320.99 mph (the number has crept up from 260 mph when Gustin was first licensed).

"The NHRA wants to protect the drawing power of the Top Fuel cars and keep jet cars from overshadowing them," says Roslansky. "And you can't blame them. That is where the money is." "

Turn them loose and I bet there aint a T/FD in the country that could beat them with current jet technology.

 

[mrdragster1970]

I dont get it...

A freak accident happens where a car hits a pole and then a camera boom...so everyone wants to slow the cars down now?

Why not make so that you cant hit a pole or a camera boom at 250mph by moving those items AWAY from the track?

Jeremy, all good points. The problem is, some of us have been saying let's slow them down for a long time.
Maybe that's why each side is missing part of each others argument. I'm not bitching just because of Scott.
I've been bitching since the other 25 major crashes before that. Also, part of my reason, is cost control.
To be honest, I would much rather watch 25-30 cars in qualifying run 4.80-4.90 pass' @ 300-310.
Then 14-15 4.40 @ 330. With number 12, 13, 14 running 1/2 second off the leaders.
Maybe I'm old, but I've had it with all the aborted runs. Big numbers are frigging cool, but I want to watch the race.
Take the boards down & I wouldn't miss the numbers as long as the racing was exciting.

I just hope you see some of our points, I see yours. Faster & quicker is awesome.
I would love to see it in a perfect world also. I honestly think the sport needs more cars, making more money,
attracting more sponsors, attracting more fans. As said, I will give up what I really want, just to keep the sport strong.

One thing good that happened, I was in total shock trust me. They raised fuel payouts $10,000 for winners.
Makes you think maybe they saw the IHRA P/S results???

Sorry for being so long.

Oh yea, the rocket cars were death traps. They did try a bunch of thing before finally getting rid of them.
I believe the last few guys to get killed were overseas, when nobody would let them run here anymore.
Totally different from jet cars. Which they also did a speed limit on. I also thought they did that more so fuel cars
would be the top dog, than the safety they claimed

.

 

[protruck70]

Check this out....

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...ance/features_classic_cars/rocket_men_feature

"Without the rigor of NHRA safety certification, jet cars continued to toast competitors in spectacular ways. The most notorious jet-car accident came in October 1971 near Dallas when Art Arfons -- giving a local newscaster a ride in the Super Cyclops -- lost control at 285 mph, killing his passenger and two track workers. Art retired from driving jet cars after the incident."

"And most onerous of all for the drivers, the NHRA imposes a speed limit currently 320.99 mph (the number has crept up from 260 mph when Gustin was first licensed).

"The NHRA wants to protect the drawing power of the Top Fuel cars and keep jet cars from overshadowing them," says Roslansky. "And you can't blame them. That is where the money is." "

Turn them loose and I bet there aint a T/FD in the country that could beat them with current jet technology.

That kind of proves my point, I don't ever remember "jet cars" having an rash of death's that was such a problem they needed to be limited. But I can beleive That NHRA put a limitation on their performance not to steal the show.

Jet cars - are just fucking plain "boring" they work well at the saltflats and they have an entertainment value there. Other than entertainment at an NHRA level they just don't have a place. imo

 

[Shelton_Barrs]

That kind of proves my point, I don't ever remember "jet cars" having an rash of death's that was such a problem they needed to be limited. But I can beleive That NHRA put a limitation on their performance not to steal the show.

Jet cars - are just fucking plain "boring" they work well at the saltflats and they have an entertainment value there. Other than entertainment at an NHRA level they just don't have a place. imo

"Without the rigor of NHRA safety certification, jet cars continued to toast competitors in spectacular ways."

Now I havent really researched it that much but that line makes me believe there were quite a few guys that got burnt up pretty bad. Not sure, I wasnt around back then. How big of news would it have been if a guy got burnt up in a jet car?

 

[protruck70]

"Without the rigor of NHRA safety certification, jet cars continued to toast competitors in spectacular ways."

Now I havent really researched it that much but that line makes me believe there were quite a few guys that got burnt up pretty bad. Not sure, I wasnt around back then. How big of news would it have been if a guy got burnt up in a jet car?

I remember when they came in pretty heavy but I just don't remember the dangers that they make claime to.

I am a good friend of "Broadway Bob's" and he was into the Jet cars entertainment. He was also a big "supporter" of the "jet go-karts" in the early days and several were killed at his track. Ther were actually a club and used is track regualy and at his wifes diagreement. He has a great histiry with jet's it is entertaining to hear his stories.

 

[oneredstang]

i think the blower needs to be considered, but has anyone thought bout the clutch? maybe limit the amount of discs ....

 

[protruck70]

Shelton. I will start another thread

 

[Shelton_Barrs]

I remember when they came in pretty heavy but I just don't remember the dangers that they make claime to.

I am a good friend of "Broadway Bob's" and he was into the Jet cars entertainment. He was also a big "supporter" of the "jet go-karts" in the early days and several were killed at his track. Ther were actually a club and used is track regualy and at his wifes diagreement. He has a great histiry with jet's it is entertaining to hear his stories.

I bet it is, alot of those "old guys" from back in the day are very interesting to talk to and to hear the real deal from back then.

 

[dennysavage]

i think the blower needs to be considered, but has anyone thought bout the clutch? maybe limit the amount of discs ....

You ever seen a clutch explosion in one of those things?
Any less than 4 discs, that's what happens.. Most of 'em today, run 5..

 

[Jeremy Glass]

You ever seen a clutch explosion in one of those things?
Any less than 4 discs, that's what happens.. Most of 'em today, run 5..

Which means theyll have to reduce the power of the engine to keep the clutch in it. Which means theyll slow down.

 

[Butch Kemp]

Just a thought here.
On a track like Englishtown where everyone knows it has a short shut down area, why not pour like a 10 foot high concrete wall that starts a huge radius towards either the left or right where the track still owns some property??
I'm talking a big radius so the cars would hit the wall like a cup car and scrub off lots of speed before entering the sand trap, etc around the long corner??
kepp the wall high enough to "retain" the cars??

 

[saintnik]

Just a thought here.
On a track like Englishtown where everyone knows it has a short shut down area, why not pour like a 10 foot high concrete wall that starts a huge radius towards either the left or right where the track still owns some property??
I'm talking a big radius so the cars would hit the wall like a cup car and scrub off lots of speed before entering the sand trap, etc around the long corner??
kepp the wall high enough to "retain" the cars??

......

..:-D

 

[saintnik]

I'm old too, but I don't remember the rocket cars being that fast or them losing drivers and having speed controling incidents. They have never acheived what FC and TF cars have.

I think you may be getting confused with the rocket powered G-Karts that were popular in the 60-70's that I think there were 6 or more drivers killed.

WTF?????

Which rock have you been living under???...

http://www.dragracingonline.com/features/miller_b1.html



**BEST SPEED - 386.26 at Santa Pod (England), although Miller did run 396-mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah over a quarter-mile from a standing start.

BEST E.T. - 3.583....:supz:

(1/8 mile)
BELGIUM (3.13/211)
HOLLAND (1.606/307)
ENGLAND (2.00/312)
SWEDEN (2.27/297)
GERMANY (2.49/259)
CORSICA (2.56/238} ........:-D