Alexis DeJoria's crash. (1 Viewer)

[HEMI6point1]

Just watched the portion of the E-town alky coverage I DVR'ed.

Man, that was a bad one. Thank goodness for the new catch net system. Alexis is a very nice girl and it sucks that had to happen. At least she's okay, as Greg Anderson said one day "it's just parts."

What I want to know is, how in the world could the 'chutes just fall off like that? Must have been some poor job of fastening them to the body would be my guess.

 

[!]

I heard that the rear end blew. If you look at the slo mo you can see it trailing oil from the rear end. When the rear end blew it took out the chute mounts

 

[see h 3 N 0 TOO]

I heard that the rear end blew. If you look at the slo mo you can see it trailing oil from the rear end. When the rear end blew it took out the chute mounts

I heard that as well. But it looked like the chutes were not even attached to the chassis they way the just flew off.. Anyway.. Just glad she is ok. And looks like the top end did its job.

 

[Just Paul]

Just watched the portion of the E-town alky coverage I DVR'ed.

Man, that was a bad one. Thank goodness for the new catch net system. Alexis is a very nice girl and it sucks that had to happen. At least she's okay, as Greg Anderson said one day "it's just parts."

What I want to know is, how in the world could the 'chutes just fall off like that? Must have been some poor job of fastening them to the body would be my guess.

Parachute packs are mounted to the body, but the parachutes themselves are not. My understanding is a failure in the rear end compromised the chute attatchment, and that when the chutes opened, it tore the mount off, and it also spread gear oil over the rear end and brakes. Again, not my story, but what I have been hearing.

Anyway, as I said in the previous topic on this, I'm glad she was ok.

 

[Sherman, Sherm, & Sherm Gun]

When we ran the TA/FC in the mid-'90's, we raced against a guy that had the mounts rip-off. My guess is that when the 'chutes opened, it ripped off the frame tube that they were attached to, and that opened the end or ends of the lower frame rails.

There are 'puke tubes' attached from the valve cover to the lower frame rail in front of the engine. The 'puke' or 'blow-by' runs through the lower frame rails. At the rear of the lower frame is another pair of 'puke tubes' that run up to a 'puke tank' or over-flow tank. I was thinking that the oil came from the cracked/broken frame, and not the axle housing.

Just my $.02

Or not, I just found this picture

Could have ripped a hole in the axle housing.

 

[willy]

OK..first off..I'm glad she's ok..by the video during the broadcast, she certainly was relieved to get through it..nasty.

Not to be macabre or anything..but what do you all think about this system saving Scott? Man, he was flying!

Personal opinion..if this was in place last year..I think this might have saved him. Way better than hitting some f^ckin boom!

I apologize for even going there..and I'm glad Alexis is ok.

 

[Dubs]

Speaking of Alexis DeJoria and parachute mounts...

http://www.nitromater.com/nhra-news...s-alexis-dejoria-make-early-exit-phoenix.html

very weird, shes got some bad luck with 'dem parachute mounts

 

[sparky]

Speaking of Alexis DeJoria and parachute mounts...

http://www.nitromater.com/nhra-news...s-alexis-dejoria-make-early-exit-phoenix.html

very weird, shes got some bad luck with 'dem parachute mounts

Different car and different team this time around. Same back luck. Glad she is OK.
If you track the alky numbers, it appears the new team she is involved with is really "haulin' the mail". Hopefully they will be back on track soon.

 

[.]

Check out this thread, especially post #17
http://www.nitromater.com/nhra/22145-so-whats-shutdown-area-look-like-now.html

I was there, and Alexis was along for the ride,the rear end broke at the finish line and the shrapnel exiting the lower rear of the housing tore one side of the chute attachment bracket off and cut the chute shrouds like a pair of scissors, not sure how much brake she had as there was a lot of gear oil all over the rear of the car. I helped take the chassis off the ramp truck and saw the chutes and rear end up close so this is first hand info.
Nothstein's episode was a chute deployment problem, getting sucked under the car and wrapped around the rear end, he did a good job sliding the car sideways through the gravel and into the first net, apparently saving it from any significant chassis damage.
This new system really did do it's job, both drivers are OK which is what matters most, cars can be replaced!

 

[Paul]

I hope the tracks that hold divisional races take note that a Top Alcohol car can hit the trap at a high rate of speed and they should also invest in the new spec sand trap. I would hate to think what would have happen if this was at a track like Atco (I don't know if they have the new trap, I am just speaking on my memories of the track)where behind the trap is the state forest.

 

[PJ]

I think its safe to say the changes they made saved her. She was moving when she hit the new area but it worked perfectly.

 

[Jake]

Are TAFC brakes just that bad or are nitro TF & FC brakes just that good when chutes don't deploy? 9 times out of 10 the nitro cars will get their car stopped before the runoff if the chutes don't deploy. Or did the brakes malfunction because of what happened with her car?
That car looked like it was going 100 when it hit the sand. The nets did their duty on that one, thank goodness!

 

[NYNitro86]

I hope the tracks that hold divisional races take note that a Top Alcohol car can hit the trap at a high rate of speed and they should also invest in the new spec sand trap. I would hate to think what would have happen if this was at a track like Atco (I don't know if they have the new trap, I am just speaking on my memories of the track)where behind the trap is the state forest.

I remember when Roger Gustin Crashed @ Atco back in 1992, totally different accident in more ways than one, but i bet some things have changed

 

[dave]

Different car and different team this time around. Same back luck. Glad she is OK.
If you track the alky numbers, it appears the new team she is involved with is really "haulin' the mail". Hopefully they will be back on track soon.

I believe they have a guy by the name of Bob Newberry helping them tune the car. He really knows his stuff.

 

[Randy]

Are TAFC brakes just that bad or are nitro TF & FC brakes just that good when chutes don't deploy? 9 times out of 10 the nitro cars will get their car stopped before the runoff if the chutes don't deploy. Or did the brakes malfunction because of what happened with her car?
That car looked like it was going 100 when it hit the sand. The nets did their duty on that one, thank goodness!

TA/FC's have WAY less drag than an FC. FC's have huge spoilers on the back that cup and drag the air which slows them down big time while TA/FC's are very slippery.

From what I was told Alexis' chute mounts pulled out the rear end housing and allowed the spray of gear oil you saw to coat the rear brakes. The only brakes she had left were her steel front rotors which are not nearly as effective as carbon brakes. I personally would never own a car without carbon brakes on all four corners and with their budget I hope Bob orders a set from Lamb or Strange for her next car.

I'm not sure about the car Marty was driving but (excluding the body) that is an old Frank Manzo car. He seemed to be able to scrub a lot of speed off even though it was bouncing. I wonder if it at least has rear carbon brakes.

 

[Randy]

When we ran the TA/FC in the mid-'90's, we raced against a guy that had the mounts rip-off. My guess is that when the 'chutes opened, it ripped off the frame tube that they were attached to, and that opened the end or ends of the lower frame rails.

There are 'puke tubes' attached from the valve cover to the lower frame rail in front of the engine. The 'puke' or 'blow-by' runs through the lower frame rails. At the rear of the lower frame is another pair of 'puke tubes' that run up to a 'puke tank' or over-flow tank. I was thinking that the oil came from the cracked/broken frame, and not the axle housing.

Just my $.02

The upper frame rail is used for blow by. The burn down tubes go from the valve covers to the upper frame rail. Then, behind the driver shoulders there are two tubes that attach to the puke tank on the rear tree. No one uses the lower frame rails.

 

[Just Paul]

I hope the tracks that hold divisional races take note that a Top Alcohol car can hit the trap at a high rate of speed and they should also invest in the new spec sand trap. I would hate to think what would have happen if this was at a track like Atco (I don't know if they have the new trap, I am just speaking on my memories of the track)where behind the trap is the state forest.

You've got that right...


While I was in college, I got to be real good friends with an instructor and his son (They are some of the best people you would ever meet). Anyway, we were at a Div.1 track racing their injected alcohol dragster, and had just made a pass. We got down to the top end, and were rolling up the chutes or whatever getting ready to tow back. Just then, the next pair came down, and here comes a dragster with the chute flopping on the ground, and appears to have no brakes.

This track has an uphill shut off, and the last turn off is at the top of the hill. After the last turn off, it goes back down hill a little ways. (At the time I had never been beyond the last turn off.) Well, he almost got it stopped at the top of the hill, but barely made it over the top, and went down to what I thought would be the sand trap. Myself and the drivers brother ran up the hill and were going to help the guy push the car back out of the sand and up to get the car off the track. Much to our surprise, when we got to the top of the hill and looked down, THERE WAS NO CAR!!!

The sand trap (gravel) was about 20 feet long, and it looks like they had a ton extra, so they had it piled up about 4 feet high in the back just before the woods. The dragster had went through the gravel, up the gravel mound, and jumped into the trees. Lucky for him, he went between a couple of the bigger trees, and the car might have needed a front half but other then that was ok. The driver was shaken, but we helped him out after a little bit. He had a brake fitting crack, and leaked fluid out.

I always think back to that day when I see a car go off the end of the track. He was not going all that fast when he went in, but the results could have been tragic. If that had been Alexis or even Marty going in at the speed they were, it would have been real ugly.

 

[shawn fleischmann]

I'm not sure about the car Marty was driving but (excluding the body) that is an old Frank Manzo car. He seemed to be able to scrub a lot of speed off even though it was bouncing. I wonder if it at least has rear carbon brakes.

No, they had a new car built last year. The car has carbon rears and steel fronts.

 

[Randy]

No, they had a new car built last year. I believe the car has carbon on all 4 corners.

I stand corrected. A couple people mentioned how, even though Marty was bouncing, he was able to bring the speed down quite a bit.

Any word on the overall condition of Jay's car?

 

[You!]

The upper frame rail is used for blow by. The burn down tubes go from the valve covers to the upper frame rail. Then, behind the driver shoulders there are two tubes that attach to the puke tank on the rear tree. No one uses the lower frame rails.

Randy,

Define the word "no one" for me please.

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