Any news on Steve Engel? (1 Viewer)

[Bullet]

kudos to nhra for the new safety area at the end of ORP.
now the rest of the track.

.........maybe time to consider center guard rail between lanes?

Please tell me you are joking.

Next people will be saying that they should just run singles in qualifying to half track, extrapolate the 1/4 mile ET from the 660 clocking and hand out the Wally to the #1 qualifier?

 

[texasprostocklover]

.........maybe time to consider center guard rail between lanes?


What?? How safe would that be? Do you know how many times at Indy a car/bike crossed the centerline? So instead of just knocking out cones and cameras, we would just take out the car/bike/driver? Sorry, silly idea and even sillier suggestion.

 

[Prix-Mo]

Well, the K rail he hit is a temporary rail from the road course, which is the reason it "moved" on impact - had he hit the permanent guardrail, we might be discussing a much worse outcome. This leads me to a question - do most/all Pro Stockers and Pro Mods use/have HANS devices? I know the fuelers are required to have them, but I never gave it much thought for the rest. I believe that device, in itself, would have probably saved Steve's spinal injuries.

A Head and neck restraining system or device is required for TF, FC, PS,TAD, TAF, Many Comp Classes, Pro Mod or any vehicle running 200 mph or faster. So I assume he was wearing one.

 

[jackass]

Phillip......... he was wearing one ..not sure which one.. but i was informed he was...

Also i believe that video has been asked to be removed... and should be...

It amazes me that drag strips that are used for other forms of motorsports use the K-rails as a temparary wall.. they can have a system in place that is solidly mounted into the ground and removable by a standard fork-lift.. and the holes in the ground can be sealed and covers with a rubber topped seal pipe....and can be backed by 2 to three Light weight i-beams or square tube braces for extra suport. or at least a removable swing gate like the rest of the shut down has in places....

Billy

 

[mick]

Please tell me you are joking.........

not joking.
how much less perpendicular would opposite lane crashes be
with some form of center guardrail?

 

[The Swegian]

I believe that device, in itself, would have probably saved Steve's spinal injuries.

This is hard to say. The HANS doesn't necessarily protect you from injury due to a direct blow at the top of the head. Steve's a big guy, I believe about 6'4" tall, and from what I understand, when he's in the car, his helmet is very closet to the roof/top of the roll cage. I'm thinking that the blow he took was probably not unlike when somebody dives head first into a shallow pool and strikes their head on the bottom, breaking their neck.

 

[texasprostocklover]

Thanks for the responses, guys - I guess head-on at 210 is not good even with all the safety precautions in the world in place. With respects to all his family and friends, I agree that no video should ever be posted. It has been 16 years since Bill's crash and I never, ever, ever want to see any video of it - PERIOD.

later maters

 

[The Swegian]

One other thought. I don't recall hearing any updates at the track after Friday night about Steve's condition. I may have missed it but the only news I heard was stuff I heard from people who were not in attendance. Did I miss this or did NHRA pretty much not state anything publicly?

 

[HEMI6point1]

I always thought - why not bring the SAFER barriers to the dragstrip? The product is already out there and proven....

 

[Joker]

Thanks for the responses, guys - I guess head-on at 210 is not good even with all the safety precautions in the world in place. With respects to all his family and friends, I agree that no video should ever be posted. It has been 16 years since Bill's crash and I never, ever, ever want to see any video of it - PERIOD.

later maters

Are you referring to Bill Staley, former TPSA driver by chance? Cause if you are, you dont want to see it. My dad and him were friends and he was one of the first people to the car after the wreck.

 

[texasprostocklover]

Are you referring to Bill Staley, former TPSA driver by chance? Cause if you are, you dont want to see it. My dad and him were friends and he was one of the first people to the car after the wreck.

Justin, yes I am. He was my fiancee and I was filming the run - I wish I had taken the tape out of the camera and destoyed it, but that was the last thought on my mind at that time. 16 years later it seems like yesterday........Who is your Dad?

 

[PJ]

One other thought. I don't recall hearing any updates at the track after Friday night about Steve's condition. I may have missed it but the only news I heard was stuff I heard from people who were not in attendance. Did I miss this or did NHRA pretty much not state anything publicly?

they didn't give much of one, Leo was saying something about it and to keep him in your thoughts and prayers then sent the feed to Alan to interview somebody. Didn't really give any detail.

 

[Toejam]

I was walking the Pits with John Roger's on Sunday and we saw Jimmy Rector coming out of one of the Fuel team pits. I askedabout Steve and that's how I found out about him being nearly paralized! I still felt NHRA could have kept everyone updated on his condition.

 

[Joker]

Are you referring to Bill Staley, former TPSA driver by chance? Cause if you are, you dont want to see it. My dad and him were friends and he was one of the first people to the car after the wreck.

Justin, yes I am. He was my fiancee and I was filming the run - I wish I had taken the tape out of the camera and destoyed it, but that was the last thought on my mind at that time. 16 years later it seems like yesterday........Who is your Dad?

My dad is Eddie League. Been around Div 4 and Texas racing scene along time. Him and Bill were friends and Dad was at Ennis running that weekend too and was down in the shutdown area when it happened. Still sorry for your loss. I hadnt realized it but it has been that long.

 

[davey]

I was walking the Pits with John Roger son Sunday and we saw Jimmy Rector coming out of one of the Fuel team pits. I askedabout Steve and that's how I found out about him being nearly paralized! I still felt NHRA could have kept everyone updated on his condition.

Legally, they can't give any specifics. Just general statements like,critical, stable, etc. Most tracks just choose to avoid saying anything entirely. It's not that they don't care. They just have to be very careful due to the HIPAA Privacy laws that were passed three or four years ago (or whenever it was--I'm getting old).

 

[texasprostocklover]

"My dad is Eddie League. Been around Div 4 and Texas racing scene along time. Him and Bill were friends and Dad was at Ennis running that weekend too and was down in the shutdown area when it happened. Still sorry for your loss. I hadnt realized it but it has been that long."

Justin, I do remember your Dad and thanks. It is something I will never get over. Sometimes it seems so long ago and sometimes just like yesterday. He was a great guy.

take care,
Pat

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

.........maybe time to consider center guard rail between lanes?

prayers are with steve.

Mike thats a good way to use the "TWIN" tracks at Z-MAX. That way no mater what side yer sittin on, you've got a car on the track near you. Yet the two can't get together.

Just a thought.....

 

[Nick Name]

Anyone ever run at Fremont which had no left side guard rail, or San Fernando which had no right side guard rail. I am sure there were others. Saw many cars leave the track and not crash into any walls.

Walls are dangerous. I lost my best friend at Indy 12 years ago because of a wall.

Jay

 

[HEMI6point1]

Anyone ever run at Fremont which had no left side guard rail, or San Fernando which had no right side guard rail. I am sure there were others. Saw many cars leave the track and not crash into any walls.

Walls are dangerous. I lost my best friend at Indy 12 years ago because of a wall.

Jay

Actually, an opening to a service road in a wall. If he would have hit it at the portion of the armco's that was parallel to the track, he might still be with us today.

 

[mike]

Actually, an opening to a service road in a wall. If he would have it the portion of the armco's that was parallel to the track, he might still be with us today.

Sam,

Jay is referring to Elmer Trett. I don't even want to think about those old guard rails, they killed two of my favourites.

Regards,

Michael