Clay drives Tony's Canopy Car

[LoPony]

I’m on the side of, like a lot of us on here; and willing to say/bet. Clay’s age (born in the mid 60’s) and how he has always “done it”; is why he is skeptical about it. Just like we are on here about how thing’s/racing used to be and the state it is in today. He & crew may not want to change because that is how they have always done it. But on the other side of this. Brittany Force is most likely lighter than Clay and Justin Ashley is probably close to Clay’s weight (maybe a little heavier) and seem to have figured it out & doing pretty well. And the most interesting example is Doug Kalitta. Was having a mediocre season 2 years ago when he wrecked at the first race in playoffs & pulled his backup car (without a canopy) and went on a terror to win his first championship! Was anyone else surprised that he came back out the following season with a canopy car, like I was? Seems to be working out for him quite well.
Just my $.02

All good points. Kalitta, though, stuck with an open cockpit after the tire failure and still runs open?

 

[mick]

doug was driving an enclosed cockpit when he cut a rear tire during Q for '23 reading race.
he switched to open cockpit and preceeded to win the points in '23. i'm almost positive that team has not raced
an enclosed cockpit since, which continues to this present day ....... article on DI.com this morning stated that doug only
needs to Q at pomona to clinch the 2025 points.

 

[LoPony]

Now folks, you gotta love that....

How about y'all? Would YOU prefer a canopy? Weight and CG aside, would you prefer the intensity of the noise and wind in your face or a quieter ride that helps keep the bugs out of your teeth? Do you consider it to be a safety hazard in the event of a fire? I believe I'd take the canopy but being as I've never driven a TF car, that's just a guess. And Millican might have a change of heart if the differences in Stewart's car weren't factors.

Being 6’1 and 210, I’d think the open car would be my choice. I’d need all the weight transfer advantages I could get. You sit so far down and the windshield is protecting you from most everything anyway.

 

[65 Goatboy]

Now folks, you gotta love that....

How about y'all? Would YOU prefer a canopy? Weight and CG aside, would you prefer the intensity of the noise and wind in your face or a quieter ride that helps keep the bugs out of your teeth? Do you consider it to be a safety hazard in the event of a fire? I believe I'd take the canopy but being as I've never driven a TF car, that's just a guess. And Millican might have a change of heart if the differences in Stewart's car weren't factors.

If I was 27 I'd want the intensity of noise and wind in my face, now that I'm 67 I'll take the canopy.

 

[T.Smith]

I think part of Clay's resistance to moving to a canopy car is that he recognizes his small stature is a performance advantage for most crew chiefs and gives him extra value as a hired driver. The lack of weight in the center of the car allows it to arch more freely. In a time where drivers are often seen as replaceable they need to prove their value, whether it is good RT's or in the case of Clay, staying trim to offer that little bit of advantage to the CC. By moving to the canopy car and adding the 40lbs or so, it reduces that advantage that he has worked for. And if you don't think he takes this seriously, listen to him talk about his restricted diet on race weekends and look for the stationary bike that he hauls around to the races. It's kind of like a horse jockey, LOL.

That's why we didn't build a canopy car. Wanted to save as much weight as possible.

 

[z28]

Now folks, you gotta love that....

How about y'all? Would YOU prefer a canopy? Weight and CG aside, would you prefer the intensity of the noise and wind in your face or a quieter ride that helps keep the bugs out of your teeth? Do you consider it to be a safety hazard in the event of a fire? I believe I'd take the canopy but being as I've never driven a TF car, that's just a guess. And Millican might have a change of heart if the differences in Stewart's car weren't factors.

Canopy

 

[sfw1960]

I believe Clay has avoided the canopy because they fog over when it's dewy outside and he's made at least a dozen runs under the lights on a cool night...

 

[J]

From the sounds of clays last video,next year itl be tony and jimbo and clay with nicky. Why even bother bringing rob on for a few events????

 

[mick]

From the sounds of clays last video,next year itl be tony and jimbo and clay with nicky. Why even bother bringing rob on for a few events????

ummm, because he was temporarily unemployed, is one of the best out there, and you'd be foolish to pass up a chance to get him.
for whatever reason/s, it didn't work out ....... best wishes for rwr and this 2 team operation in '26.

 

[sfw1960]

Is anyone curious though, on how Jeff Lutz plays into the next season??

 

[Nunz]

Is anyone curious though, on how Jeff Lutz plays into the next season??

How do you mean? Lutz and Clay are good buddies and do projects together and create content. If you're referring to Jeff in a Top Fuel car, I think the goal is to get him to make some hits. He did say he'd like to get a license.

 

[sfw1960]

How do you mean? Lutz and Clay are good buddies and do projects together and create content. If you're referring to Jeff in a Top Fuel car, I think the goal is to get him to make some hits. He did say he'd like to get a license.

Hey Nunz,
Hope all's well with you...
It's far from a secret that Jeff & Clay are great buds, both are popular with the crowds too - lot's of Jeff's fans are not originally from a NHRA draw, ones that may become NHRA fans in the process. (Marketing advantage? Maybe.)
I don't have any inside hooey, but I have followed Clay's adventures for some time - including the earlier days, that may have not been any YT stuff, he has never forgotten where he came from.
If the browser link works as expected - it should be around 13:05-ish (lol) Listen to Rick and watch Clay's face....
My wife & I have been a long time fan/friend's of Clay's and she does know him fairly well (and he's taken us in his bunker during races), I know you're not fresh off the turnip truck either but it just seems (to us anyhow) that Tony was hired to be a blocker for the countdown - if he was he did a far from stellar job, but I am just imagining a place where RWR has found a more suitable playground for his likes. Maybe enough for a 3 car TF team? It could happen.
Tony loses his ride next season? It could happen. Jeff simply does try out the biggest thunder lizard on the planet, gets a TF license and calls it good? It could happen. Clay joins up with Jeff to do a non NHRA sponsored Drag 'N Drive? It could happen.
As always - draw you own conclusions, but color me goof ball with this - most of the time my dear wife starts talking about Clay doing this or that, she's not far off the mark that often.

I'm thinking Tony might be on the shuffle so that's just me, the Drag 'N Drive sounds good though too.

I'd love to hear more input and opinions, that's kinda part of the fun of it, ain't it?
Silly season just peaks when the temps are coldest - it never goes quite out of orbit!

 

[LoPony]

I like it all. Nothing outrageous, all possible.

 

[yoda]

Has/can anyone else engineered a canopy dragster that meets the SFI specs and yet allows the cars to not be so cookie cutter? I'm sure Safety Safari has some opinions....

 

[Ponyhntr]

Has/can anyone else engineered a canopy dragster that meets the SFI specs and yet allows the cars to not be so cookie cutter? I'm sure Safety Safari has some opinions....

It’s not really possible to meet the SFI spec and not be ‘cookie cutter’. The spec is VERY specific. Add to that, the canopy’s have very specific requirements set forth by NHRA for safety and performance.

 

[Butch]

Has/can anyone else engineered a canopy dragster that meets the SFI specs and yet allows the cars to not be so cookie cutter? I'm sure Safety Safari has some opinions....

My 1st time seeing a capsule was in a TF Hydro in 2000 at Highpoint, NC. at that time, I got the impression it was a TF drivers' cockpit.
Cage and frame rails inside the capsule. Unfortunately, that protection gave some drivers, the feeling of being 10' tall & Bulletproof.
and it didn't end well for some.
That design was used by Schumacher in developing the current TF Canopy.