Nitromater
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Blast from my past pics.
- Thread starter Bubba
- Start date
mike cummings
Nitro Member
what was the deal with the little aircraft front tires and why did they appear then disappear so rapidly in the sport? I've heard they had something to do with rollout distance and reaction time. Did NHRA ban them?
MM
Nitro Member
the bigger diameter wheels give you more rollout and thus make it less likely you will redlight....with those little wheels, if you bumped it in deep there was about a 90% chance you were gonna redlight or be really late trying to avoid redlighting
and that pic looks like 1992 to me
The Swegian
Nitro Member
I'd agree with that Mike. Was it Michael Brotherton in that version of the Coors Light car?
I seem to recall hearing that as well.
Porkchop
Nitro Member
Your pic is from 1992Tommy Johnson Jr, blasts off from the starting line. Location: Brainerd, MN. I can't recall the year I took this photo, but I returned next year with the print and had Tommy autograph it.
Don't forget it was Big Daddy who thought the low profile tires were more aerodynamic when he first brought them out in '85-86? But it was Dale Armstrong who got KB to switch for more rollout!
Connie Kalitta had stated that had he had the Big tires on in Houston '89 he wouldn't have crashed the Guardrail like he did which almost killed him!
Connie Kalitta had stated that had he had the Big tires on in Houston '89 he wouldn't have crashed the Guardrail like he did which almost killed him!
Just Paul
Nitro Member
Garlits brought out the small front tires only so he could cover them, he never ran them out in the open 'till swamp rat 32. The originals were just spun disks with a belt on the outside, but the belts kept coming off and damaging the nose piece. There were a couple different versions until goodyear got involved in the middle of 86.
Anyway, different story different time. GREAT picture, I was there somewhere!!!
Anyway, different story different time. GREAT picture, I was there somewhere!!!
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1990 I believe was when he crashed. I also believe Darrell Gwynn was in the lane next to him.
There's my useless .02 cents,lol.
Just Paul
Nitro Member
Yes you are correct! Because that was 2 races until his crash at Santa Pod!
rick
Nitro Member
Yes it was Michael Brotherton in the other lane
BaldyLochs
Nitro Member
Yeah I was at HRP for that one too, watching from the starting line. It was fugly. As I remember, he was hooked up and on a pretty good run, then just about 3/4 way down track or so, all the sudden the rear wing supports just collapsed like wet spaghetti and stuff went flying everywhere in every direction. The Bounty Hunter spent a long time recovering from like broken ribs, punctured lung, yada yada.
Not just that accident; but really any in drag racing... there's just something completley un-nerving about seeing a vehicle leave from a standing start..... then fall to pieces at high speed 4 seconds later.
Just Paul
Nitro Member
Joe Amato and Larry Minor both ran them at the 84 Cajun Nationals.
The track and shut down was so rough the regular front tires were being damaged.
yoda
Nitro Member
I recall something about the that period of time that Goodyear was having issues with slicks failing, and with the little tires, the rear would unload and the front tires would come off the ground, making the car impossible to steer...
Bubba
Nitro Member
Cory McClenathan was approaching the finish line at near 300 mph when his dragster's engine exploded, causing shrapnel to puncture the left rear tire. You can see the supercharger rotors above the cockpit and the remains of the tire at the right of the picture. Cory was able to stop the car without hitting the guard wall. If my memory serves me correctly, this was 1992 in Brainerd, Minnesota. National Dragster's Marc Gerwertz got a nearly identical picture as he was standing beside me.
