Did Force and KB Crash?

[Just Paul]

YouTube - Mike Harmon Bristol Crash

Video.. amazing.

 

[TJ]

Randy.....I hear ya....JFR chassis basically seperated due to the vibration of the flat tire and chute combo....That car should of never came apart...something went wrong and it will not take a PH.D to figure out the chassis was not right....
I heard NHRA is now talking w/ Plueger about safety and the future...
Alot of owners are scrambling now to make sure their cars are safe....

 

[big jim]

What I don't understand(there's a lot of things...) The SFI spec is a minimum. These guys make more power than they can use so weight shouldn't be too big of a factor, especially 30lbs of extra moly tubing, so why not "monster truck" the cage? I know I'm niave when it comes to TF/FC, but every 8 or 9 second ride we build goes way past the minimum SFI specs.

 

[Husky]

Right. Bob Meyer beat me to it. NHRA has the car, not Force. Unless it's been released.

Mike, how long have you been following the sport?

RG

Since 1963 but I don't profess to have the expertise many of the folks here do. BTW, on ESPN, they said both the team and the NHRA will investigate the accident. I believe it was Paige that time. Don't shoot the messenger.
Did you miss the Winky smiley face after the comment? I should have used red text, sorry.

 

[Rexfiles]

I saw it too. HD does make a huge difference. I kept wondering why the announcers didn't see it and comment during all the replays. I'm no expert and don't know that's what caused the crash but you can plainly see pieces of something go under John"s car right before the tire came apart.

100% ditto's.

Everyone keeps harping that striking the blocks COULD NOT!!! be the cause.

Hogwash.

There IS debris.....who knows for sure, possibly off KB's car..........I dunno, that far exceed the velocity of the foam block that gets under Johns car.

Geez Louise, turn off your 1950's B&W cathode ray tube, stop watching shitty little blurry YouTube vid's and open yer friggin' eyes!!!!!

Did it CAUSE the crash........I dunno.

But not tiny, not specks, but relatively small/large pieces........not foam, hard stuff...........definitely make it under Johns car.

I'm not blind.

REX

 

[nope]

John's people are saying that the biggest problem the crash caused was the vibration the car went threw prior to coming apart. They are also saying John feels "that the new padding they added saved his life and he now has a better understanding of what Eric went threw."

 

[The Counterfeiter]

100% ditto's.

Everyone keeps harping that striking the blocks COULD NOT!!! be the cause.Hogwash.There IS debris.....who knows for sure, possibly off KB's car..........I dunno, that far exceed the velocity of the foam block that gets under Johns car.Geez Louise, turn off your 1950's B&W cathode ray tube, stop watching shitty little blurry YouTube vid's and open yer friggin' eyes!!!!!Did it CAUSE the crash........I dunno.
But not tiny, not specks, but relatively small/large pieces........not foam, hard stuff...........definitely make it under Johns car.I'm not blind.
REX

Well . . . I'm not blind and I have a 61" HD TV. I've watched this several times and the two blocks KB hit clearly passed behind John's car. I can't see any other debris from KB's car striking John's. Could you post a frame from the HD coverage that shows what you are talking about?

 

[Rexfiles]

Well . . . I'm not blind and I have a 61" HD TV. I've watched this several times and the two blocks KB hit clearly passed behind John's car. I can't see any other debris from KB's car striking John's. Could you post a frame from the HD coverage that shows what you are talking about?

Because you cannot see them does not mean they are not there.

I don't know how to post what is on my DVR because I am a mason by trade and am pretty much computer illiterate.

Many others have seen this also, including several friends watching over here.

There are projectiles that were way ahead of the blocks that BTW were hit by KB's nose.........Not side of body or rear tire. They actually were being shot somewhat forward and to the side.

I can see something also that actually seems to land in front of Johns spoiler to the right.

Another thing that I constantly hear is Forces right tire goes down first. I don't know if it does or not but the very first visible occurance from that car is the left slick delaminating.

I can see a strip of rubber come off and fly up and over the rear of the car.

And any engine mayhem comes AFTER the car was already breaking up.

These things I can see.

You just have to look.

REX

 

[Bob]

I know what I saw and I do have my opinion although Paul doesn't think I have the right to post it.

I have an idea. Why don't we wait and see what the investigators come up with?

 

[Big John]

Did NHRA have that camera thats at track level this weekend?

 

["Dr. Dirt"]

Because you cannot see them does not mean they are not there.

The day of the broadcast all of my family clearly saw debris exit from Kenny's car directly under John's car. The moment it happened three of the four of us believed that debris to have cut down the left rear tire immediately destroying the body and beyond.
Hey Rex, my dad was a bricklayer and I followed in his footsteps starting my own company at the age of 21. I have since moved into land sales but I'll never regret my training as a mason.

 

[.]

Another thing that I constantly hear is Forces right tire goes down first. I don't know if it does or not but the very first visible occurance from that car is the left slick delaminating.

I can see a strip of rubber come off and fly up and over the rear of the car.

And any engine mayhem comes AFTER the car was already breaking up.

I wish i could see it in HD so I could see those projectiles you're talking about. It's definitely not the foam blocks because the 2nd hit cone flies behind John's car and the car is already coming apart by the time the 1st hit cone is within a couple feet. It sounds like John's crew agrees it's not the foam blocks. I've watched the run dozens of times and definitely agree with you that the first sign of trouble is pieces of rubber coming off of the left tire. You can see the tire delaminating follwed by the left quarter-panel tweaking. If you do a frame by frame you can see the left spill-plate rise up in the front/lower at the rear and the roof starts to distort shape. Then all of a sudden the whole quarter-panel just disintegrates followed shortly by the car breaking apart. Something caused the left tire to come apart and it just might be that debris you're seeing in the HD footage.

 

[Randy]

I know what I saw and I do have my opinion although Paul doesn't think I have the right to post it.

I have an idea. Why don't we wait and see what the investigators come up with?

Decisions are already being made and the trigger has already been pulled. And more than likely you'll never hear about it. The first phone call from the hospital wasn't to the Mrs. and this isn't the *second* chassis to come apart. Whatever the "investigators" come up with you'll never hear about. The only indications you'll see will come in the form of rules revisions if the powers to be have the courage to listen to a German guy who knows his stuff.

Over and out. I'm done.

 

[ProStockJunkie]

II have an idea. Why don't we wait and see what the investigators come up with?

I'm still waiting for the 'official' report on Darrell Russell's accident. Hope I live long enough.

 

[ROCKY]

The day of the broadcast all of my family clearly saw debris exit from Kenny's car directly under John's car. The moment it happened three of the four of us believed that debris to have cut down the left rear tire immediately destroying the body and beyond.
Hey Rex, my dad was a bricklayer and I followed in his footsteps starting my own company at the age of 21. I have since moved into land sales but I'll never regret my training as a mason.

It was not the blocks but something else that flew under John's car when Kenny hit the blocks. And I or no one else is Kenny bashing. Stuff happens. He is a pro. What I can't understand is if this is what happened why are they putting plastic mirrors "debris" on the track to start with? Would not foam with some reflective tape work? Just wondering. Can someone share some info on this?

 

[Gutter Brain]

It was not the blocks but something else that flew under John's car when Kenny hit the blocks. And I or no one else is Kenny bashing. Stuff happens. He is a pro. What I can't understand is if this is what happened why are they putting plastic mirrors "debris" on the track to start with? Would not foam with some reflective tape work? Just wondering. Can someone share some info on this?

I thought somewhere in the 330+ posts, someone said their track does use reflective tape.

 

[none]

................and who is this mysterious German Randy keeps referring to?

 

[Paul]

I know what I saw and I do have my opinion although Paul doesn't think I have the right to post it.

Who in the hell said you do not have a right to post your opinion? Did you read the link? Team Force is contradicting what you saw and is saying Kenny hitting the cone had nothing to do with the crash.

Here is the quote from Dave Densmore PR rep of Team Force, “Kenny hit a cone, which every driver has done at some time or another. However, when given access to video from all angles, it's obvious that the cone goes behind John's car and is never a factor."

 

[HEMI6point1]

I'm still waiting for the 'official' report on Darrell Russell's accident. Hope I live long enough.

From what I heard, Darrell's death was simply the result of a wayward wing strut that was sheared off and went into the rollcage when the tire blew. Why do you think they have the roll cage shielding? To keep the wing strut should it get sheared off or other parts from spearing drivers.

In this case of John Force, I am going to wait and see what JFR says, but if it isn't anything that came from KB's car, then what? I personally find it hard to imagine a tire blowing or going down could cause that bad of a chassis failure. And I'm not blaming Kenny either, just sayin.'

 

[megadeth]

It don't take much at the speeds these guy's and gal's are going in the form of debris to cause a heap of damage.

I understand Randy's frustration given the track record of the powers of the NHRA rule makers. I hope no knee jerk reactions happen here!