An accident waiting to happen...

[Just Paul]

Garlits' old crew chief Herb Parks was run over and killed in the late 80's on the starting line by a fueler.

 

[Jenn]

Garlits' old crew chief Herb Parks was run over and killed in the late 80's on the starting line by a fueler.

Johnson, Medlin, Wells, Russell, Winter, Gwinn, were are hurt or killed on the track, should we stop the practice of strapping the drivers into the cars?

 

[Speedy_Sticks]

I said it once before and I got beat up for saying it. If they want to do that stuff and have an accident and may die, let them. Sure it hurts for me to read it, but if they want to do that, go ahead.

Safety in cars has come from past experiences.

Look what happened to the two sons of Doug Herbert. Should we say, oh well, they are just kids, let them do what they wish, or learn from it and teach others not to do the same.

The choice is yours...

Flame away.

Cheers

James

 

[FuelCarBuilder]

Anyone reading this thread needs to go to the the "I'm Pi$$ed Zippy Said Pi$$ed" thread. For the love of god people, this sport has been around for a long time and I don't think a thread stating that there is an accident waiting to happen is going to make everybody stop and say "Huh, maybe drag racing is a dangerous sport". As a matter of fact they are going to laugh and say "when's the next race". Stop looking for subjects to start a thread about, let's just talk about who won last weeks race or speculate who will win the next one and let these guys (adrenaline junkies) do their jobs that they have chosen to do. Kinda like a firefighter going into a burning building, when is someone going to start a thread about being a firefighter is an accident waiting to happen, they could have something fall on them and burn to death or they could get caught in a stairwell and be trapped with no way out. They chose their career as has all the crew men and drivers of these Dragsters, funny cars and PS cars. Hope I don't piss anybody off.

Hi Tony! Maybe I should stop welding because I may electrocute myself.
Good post dude.
Hey, 50 posts....do I get some kinda prize or something?

 

[d'kid]

Hi Tony! Maybe I should stop welding because I may electrocute myself.
Good post dude.
Hey, 50 posts....do I get some kinda prize or something?

Bob,
you've got The Raccoon as you avatar... that's prize enuff... Lord I miss John.

d'kid

 

[Darryl]

Bob,
you've got The Raccoon as you avatar... that's prize enuff... Lord I miss John.

d'kid

You and me both...sigh. John was one of the Good Guys...and I don't mean car shows. Even John's accident at Indy resulted in rule changes as the belts were required to have flame retardant material over them after that. I must say that sometimes we really DO learn the hard way!

 

[d'kid]

Over the last 40 plus years, I've had a lot more scary things happen in the pits around me, and in the garage at home between races than on the track or in the lanes.

Like Jenn said, I'm more aware when with a car on the track, the only time I've been hurt is in the garage/shop, because I got complacent... even then, I just got a 'little' run over, the body was off the car, thank you very much.

d'kid

 

[Just Paul]

Johnson, Medlin, Wells, Russell, Winter, Gwinn, were are hurt or killed on the track, should we stop the practice of strapping the drivers into the cars?

Get off my ass, I never said they should not have people out there, I am just stating a fact.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

I don't think MENDENHALL started this just to complain. He saw a safety issue and pointed it out, that's a GOOD thing. Do we always have to wait till someone gets hurt/killed before we fix it ??

I agree sometimes drivers need help,( tire smoke, ect) but I think he could be signaled from his crewman-girl from outside the wall, no need for them to be on the track in front of the race car. NO NEED AT ALL

 

[Jenn]

but I think he could be signaled from his crewman-girl from outside the wall, no need for them to be on the track in front of the race car. NO NEED AT ALL

I disagree. If I was over the wall, and I saw an oil leak, I would have to hop over the wall, and get the drivers attention. That takes time, time on the line that you can't always count on affording. Plus you have photogs, speakers, pyrotechnics that are all lined up against that wall to get in your way. NHRA is very good about shooing away crewmembers who think that it's a good idea to stand on the track and close to it when their cars aren't up there.

I probably feel safer on the track, guiding the line than I do in the pits, in the lanes, and certainly on the tow up where you get the wayward speckies about.

Not to mention, you guys aren't at the angles we are at. You don't see our view points. You don't know the angles the drivers can see. We may look like we are directly in the path of the car, but we may have plenty of room.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

The wall is there to keep cars + people apart.
Spoting leaks is the starting line crews job.

Watch the films, sometimes the crewman is walking down track, INSIDE the wall, and doesn't even look back at his car till it smokes past him.

 

[J.C.]

My thought is - Whether the crewman "needs" to be out there or not, does he really need to hold his leg and foot out in front of the car during the burnout and drag it away "just in the nick of time"? What happens if he trips or falls when making that last millisecond move and the car drives over his leg or entire body?

Just common sense to me: Don't stand in the path of a drag vehicle that's doing a burnout!

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

I agree 100% Mayes. Not long ago many wanted to crucify some poor guy for doing a burn-out at a childrens fund racer with people watching. Something went terribly wrong.

Now we applaud the practice of standing or walking inches from a race car under power.....

Like the thread starter said, "An accident waiting to happen"

Cars belong on the race track - NOT people jmo

 

[Rajunz]

Garlits' old crew chief Herb Parks was run over and killed in the late 80's on the starting line by a fueler.

If I remember correctly, Herb got backed over, regardless, it was a terrible, and unnecessary accident.

Look at NASCAR Pit Road accidents, it's never a good idea to be in front of a moving race car.

 

[clwill]

Look at NASCAR Pit Road accidents, it's never a good idea to be in front of a moving race car.

Or the recent Danica Patrick incident. Just like it's never a good idea to stand directly in front of or behind a golfer -- it's just silly to get in front of or behind of a race car with a running engine.

I appreciate the need to be there sometimes (e.g. during backup, adjusting the wheelie bar, etc.), but the photo that started this thread is really "an accident waiting to happen". Standing in front of (or immediately next to) a car during the burnout is just machismo, and is going to get someone hurt.

 

[Nick]

I agree with being carefull, however, Drag Racing is no different than the US Military when it comes to danger (even in peacetime). They are both inherently dangerous jobs and no matter how safe you "try" to make them they will always be dangerous and sometimes serious injury or death results. Everyone knows the danger and everyone accepts it.....otherwise they wouldn't be there doing it.

One could argue all day and night as to what qualifies as "an accident waiting to happen" so I'll throw in my 2 cents to that argument. Next time you see a helicopter flying overhead think to yourself "is that an accident waiting to happen?"

 

[Rajunz]

The helicoptor flying overhead may not be, but standing next to a rotor when it cranks up surely is! Sure there are inherent dangers, but there is also stupidity that plays into these things.

 

[Nitrohaulic]

I agree 100% Mayes. Not long ago many wanted to crucify some poor guy for doing a burn-out at a childrens fund racer with people watching. Something went terribly wrong.

Now we applaud the practice of standing or walking inches from a race car under power.....

Like the thread starter said, "An accident waiting to happen"

Cars belong on the race track - NOT people jmo

You beat me to it. That analogy crossed my mind today. One mishap and that could be a one person Troy Critchley accident and people would be lining up to say how stupid it was AFTER the fact. Would a prosecuting attorney then come in for felony manslaughter charges?

I have a Vegas test video that shows a crewmember walking alongside the wall while a Force funny car is doing it's burnout beside him.

I do wonder if his foot is as in front of the car as it appears to be due to the angle.

The way his body is centered, I'm pretty sure he'd have to lean left before he could spring to the right.

I'm in the middle on this one. I don't want all the corners rounded off in life but, how do you criticize people who want to prevent accidents before they happen? How many rules in the book are there because of lives lost?

 

[fizzle]

I'm more concerned with using a crosswalk on a public street than doing what he's doing.

 

[.]

I'm more concerned with using a crosswalk on a public street than doing what he's doing.

I agree. I about got hit by one of Portland's finest a few months back in a crosswalk when I had the signal!