Assisted Throttles in Nitro Classes-Are Drivers Obsolete?? (7 Viewers)

[Rich D]

https://competitionplus.com/the-new-device-that-has-the-nhra-nitro-drag-racing-pits-divided/
Opinions? It sounds like the approved device has quietly been in use for a while and takes another important function away from the driver. Should we just run R/C cars?

 

[ResidentEvilRock]

I’m with Langdon on this one. Pedaling should come from experience, not a device.

 

[PJ]

The safety and cost benefits does have some merit, but I agree with Langdon, be a better driver

 

[*******]

95% of the TF races are won by the crew chief and car set up. The trained monkeys pushing the throttle pedal just have to not screw it up. Put most of the TF drivers in a car that you have to hit shift points and drive and they'll fail.

 

[Chili]

95% of the TF races are won by the crew chief and car set up. The trained monkeys pushing the throttle pedal just have to not screw it up. Put any of the TF drivers in a car that you have to hit shift points and drive and they'll fail.

The reason Alky funny cars are considered the hardest to drive.

 

[MM]

95% of the TF races are won by the crew chief and car set up. The trained monkeys pushing the throttle pedal just have to not screw it up. Put any of the TF drivers in a car that you have to hit shift points and drive and they'll fail.

I'll take that bet. You may be right about some of them, but I like my odds with the likes of Langdon, Massey, Kalitta, Smoke, etc.

 

[none]

Just playing Devil's advocate here.
This sounds kind of like a throttle stop on the burnout. Trying to keep from over revving the engine and blowing it up.

Alan

 

[T.Smith]

95% of the TF races are won by the crew chief and car set up. The trained monkeys pushing the throttle pedal just have to not screw it up. Put any of the TF drivers in a car that you have to hit shift points and drive and they'll fail.

Nonsense. Maddie Gordon and Alexis Dejoria both come out of alky funny cars. TJ Zizzo has been down every bull**** dragstrip in the midwest in a TAD...and in the dark at that.

 

[mick]

absolutely this is a form of a throttle stop. i see both sides of the argument. hmmm, one series just closed it's doors, and these next
three races have byes. nhra's E1 loser money is not a huge amount. would this device help more independents when they
come out for an nhra race? it certainly couldn't hurt them. does the potential parts savings outweigh driver's skill?
lot's of different team budgets in the pits trying to put on the best show as possible for the nhra, and the lesser funded teams doing
everything they can to come out, race, and leave with as many undamaged parts and bodies as possible.

 

[Rich D]

Just playing Devil's advocate here.
This sounds kind of like a throttle stop on the burnout. Trying to keep from over revving the engine and blowing it up.

Alan

The big difference in my mind, is that controlling the throttle during the burnout is different than artificially controlling the throttle during the actual race. I understand the benefits of this (and the CC being able to flip the switch to abort the run) from a cost savings point of view. But the purist in me, sees it as part of a slow diminishment of the importance of the driver.

 

[ironpony]

Firstly I do not think it should be there.
Then reading the article and believing their data they won 2 rounds which could have went either way BUT because of the activation of the throttle stop they lost 4 which they should have won.
So I see no performance advantage to it, I do see a monetary savings to the team which is what we are always looking for.
I see it as handicapping your own driver who could pedal and win vs pedal and be restricted to XX throttle.
Maybe we can go to a flywheel driven governor like on a Briggs & Stratton to avoid over revving.
Or just maybe go all electric and never worry about over revving, oil downs, fuel costs, heck we could put a groove down the center with 2 conductors and not even have to worry about batteries. Yeah 220.....221..... whatever takes........
Last 2 suggestions were sarcasm just in case anyone needs to know.

 

[Nappy]

Don't like the idea of this either. How do they actually work and can they be manipulated. Sounds like the one using them have already made changes to it that NHRA didn't know about. There are a lot of drivers out there that take pride in knowing how to peddle their race car.

 

[none]

The big difference in my mind, is that controlling the throttle during the burnout is different than artificially controlling the throttle during the actual race. I understand the benefits of this (and the CC being able to flip the switch to abort the run) from a cost savings point of view. But the purist in me, sees it as part of a slow diminishment of the importance of the driver.

Just to be clear, it's my understanding that it doesn't "Control" the throttle, it just stops it from returning to wide open so the engine won't over-rev.

Alan

 

[PJ]

95% of the TF races are won by the crew chief and car set up. The trained monkeys pushing the throttle pedal just have to not screw it up. Put any of the TF drivers in a car that you have to hit shift points and drive and they'll fail.

Warren Johnson is that you

 

[Nitro Bass!]

I'm all for anything that helps smaller-funded teams compete at the highest level. They're simply not in a position to absorb weekly carnage like the bigger teams can.

That said, having a device that gets in the way of a driver's instincts and ability to control and race the car feels counterproductive to me. I'm sure the races lost because a driver couldn't get back on the throttle due to the device were brutal for both the driver and the team. The question is: is it worth it?

I love great side-by-side racing, but watching a driver pedal the car, especially on a 1,320-foot track where there's more real estate to work with is one of the most exciting things in drag racing. Watching a driver recover a run through pure talent and instinct is part of what makes this sport so unique.

Over the years, we've lost throttle whacks. We've lost dry hops. We've lost the quarter mile. Now are we going to lose the opportunity to watch elite drivers demonstrate their talent, instincts, skill, and feel for the car when conditions aren't perfect?

Helping teams save money and reduce carnage? Absolutely.

But continuing to remove the human element that makes drag racing so compelling? No. Please don't keep taking away the things that make this sport special. Every change may make sense on its own, but little by little, we risk losing the fan experience that made so many of us fall in love with drag racing in the first place.

 

[mick]

if it prevents the throttle from going wide open after the driver has let off the throttle, and the argument is it saves
on parts, doesn't it also follow that engine damage often leads to fluids on the track? which leads to downtime
and cleanup? ...... if i had not read this article today, i would never know the difference watching the fuel classes and whether
or not a pedal job resulted in a slower, but completed run because this 'stop' was in use, or no 'stop' resulting in a great pedal job
or engine damage.

 

[T.Smith]

Wanna save money, take your 120 gallon fuel pump and throw it in the trash.

 

[ironpony]

Warren Johnson is that you

You could train a monkey to drive a TF car

 

[mick]

You could train a monkey to drive a TF car

don't forget ray charles

 

[Butch]

As the late Scott Kallita said.
That's why they put women and children in TF cars.