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DSR Top Fuel Shrouds
- Thread starter Rajunz
- Start date
mike
Nitro Member
What Greg said Lance. These were the ones the NHRA banned....
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Mike
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Mike
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JL
Nitro Member
This is very informative... Good stuff, I hope they will get approved.
Here's a question: Fully enclosed cockpits on dragsters have been used before, such as Garlits and others. Now that it will take an official NHRA approval to run one in TF, what about lesser dragster classes? Shoe's FC driver Fast Jack used one on his Blackbird Super Comp dragster a few years ago.
Paul
Nitro Member
It sounds like the NHRA is moving ahead at a reasonable pace on the canopy and given the safety issues involved with it I do think it needs to be looked at carefully before its put in action.
However there is this weird implication that seems to be placed on any new part or component by the NHRA now in that everything has to be a "product" to be approved and thus must be made openly available to everyone (with of course the exception of any Harley parts).
This is heavy burden and also stiff penalty on anyone how wants to innovate in the sport. You have to both share your innovation with everyone and also go through the hassle of making it available for sale. With product liability, etc. this is not a small issue.
I thought we won the cold war, is communism coming back now, ie what is mine has to automatically be yours too?
However there is this weird implication that seems to be placed on any new part or component by the NHRA now in that everything has to be a "product" to be approved and thus must be made openly available to everyone (with of course the exception of any Harley parts).
This is heavy burden and also stiff penalty on anyone how wants to innovate in the sport. You have to both share your innovation with everyone and also go through the hassle of making it available for sale. With product liability, etc. this is not a small issue.
I thought we won the cold war, is communism coming back now, ie what is mine has to automatically be yours too?
Dragracer
Nitro Member
Paul, I don't believe there is any rule that a new approved item has to be made available to everyone else.
The roll bar cover that DSR developed has been approved and anyone that wants to make one, that fits the NHRA approved spec, can put one on their car. DSR has made it very clear that both the roll bar cover and the canopy (once approved) will be made available to anyone who wants one, but, just try to get a Ford 500 fuel engine from John Force.....it won't happen, or a Ford body from Jack Rouse....can't do it without Ford & Force approval. Slim chance. Tim Wilkerson has done a lot of things for Force so he got one. Tasca III got his because of his connections with Force but mostly because Bob's dad owns the largest Ford dealerships in the country and he has had a very strong relationship with Ford racing since way before JF ever set his butt in a race car.
Both of the above items had to be prior approved by NHRA and proved they met all NHRA specifications and do not have any performance advantage.....
I guess Ford must have figured that people would really think the engine in JF cars are like they have in their own cars and would help sell cars....
The roll bar cover that DSR developed has been approved and anyone that wants to make one, that fits the NHRA approved spec, can put one on their car. DSR has made it very clear that both the roll bar cover and the canopy (once approved) will be made available to anyone who wants one, but, just try to get a Ford 500 fuel engine from John Force.....it won't happen, or a Ford body from Jack Rouse....can't do it without Ford & Force approval. Slim chance. Tim Wilkerson has done a lot of things for Force so he got one. Tasca III got his because of his connections with Force but mostly because Bob's dad owns the largest Ford dealerships in the country and he has had a very strong relationship with Ford racing since way before JF ever set his butt in a race car.
Both of the above items had to be prior approved by NHRA and proved they met all NHRA specifications and do not have any performance advantage.....
I guess Ford must have figured that people would really think the engine in JF cars are like they have in their own cars and would help sell cars....
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Randy
Nitro Member
Regarding canopies on TF'er's, there are some valid points to consider and some observations:
The number of times drivers have been hit by flying objects compared to the driver being on fire. Would it be fair to say the driver is far more likely to be on fire than to ever get hit by anything in a TF'r? If getting hit by something is a concern then they better park all the altereds, pro stock bikes, and any other open cockpit car. Keep in mind drag racing doesn't have 3 wide in the turn in front of you wrecking with parts flying off the cars.
Something to consider about TF'rs compared to any other class. There is a great big fuel line running under the driver's seat full of nitro. In a canopy, should the unthinkable happen, the fire would consume all the oxygen in the driver's compartment in a split second. Like being in a jar with the lid screwed on with a blow torch in your lap.
I don't believe that ANY NHRA class allows ANY fuel lines inside the drivers compartment (even for fuel pressure gauges, etc.) including funny car. What makes TF so different? Necessary by design, I guess. But locking a driver in a cockpit with the lid down and 15 gallons of nitro sitting in the main fuel line at your disposal under the seat may be reason for pause...fire system of not.
The smaller teams running right now (that are the reason we are still seeing full 16 car fields) may not be willing to absorb the $25 grand plus $25K more for spares that this may end up costing just to run 10-12 races a year. This year they already had to borrow from Uncle Harry for the new $10K front wings plus spares to replace the one's many weren't having any problems with in the first place.
This is not going to be a one size fits all deal, just like was stated in the article. Hillary Will can squeeze into a smaller light weight car while Doug Herbert needs an XXXL compartment. All this will drive cost for something that may not be in the driver's best interest. And consider this, the downside of enclosing the driver in a cockpit might be that it is more dangerous to the driver compared to the upside point that they are high tech looking.
Whle they "evaluate" all this at what point does it become "manditory."
Like I said. Just some observations.
The number of times drivers have been hit by flying objects compared to the driver being on fire. Would it be fair to say the driver is far more likely to be on fire than to ever get hit by anything in a TF'r? If getting hit by something is a concern then they better park all the altereds, pro stock bikes, and any other open cockpit car. Keep in mind drag racing doesn't have 3 wide in the turn in front of you wrecking with parts flying off the cars.
Something to consider about TF'rs compared to any other class. There is a great big fuel line running under the driver's seat full of nitro. In a canopy, should the unthinkable happen, the fire would consume all the oxygen in the driver's compartment in a split second. Like being in a jar with the lid screwed on with a blow torch in your lap.
I don't believe that ANY NHRA class allows ANY fuel lines inside the drivers compartment (even for fuel pressure gauges, etc.) including funny car. What makes TF so different? Necessary by design, I guess. But locking a driver in a cockpit with the lid down and 15 gallons of nitro sitting in the main fuel line at your disposal under the seat may be reason for pause...fire system of not.
The smaller teams running right now (that are the reason we are still seeing full 16 car fields) may not be willing to absorb the $25 grand plus $25K more for spares that this may end up costing just to run 10-12 races a year. This year they already had to borrow from Uncle Harry for the new $10K front wings plus spares to replace the one's many weren't having any problems with in the first place.
This is not going to be a one size fits all deal, just like was stated in the article. Hillary Will can squeeze into a smaller light weight car while Doug Herbert needs an XXXL compartment. All this will drive cost for something that may not be in the driver's best interest. And consider this, the downside of enclosing the driver in a cockpit might be that it is more dangerous to the driver compared to the upside point that they are high tech looking.
Whle they "evaluate" all this at what point does it become "manditory."
Like I said. Just some observations.
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I have allways like the innovation and I don't mind one team trying something different take this canopy for example. What gets on my nerves is that they never let different teams try different things as soon as something new comes out everyone must have it and they make it mandatory. I think thats silly what works for one team may not for another.
Bross Hawg
Nitro Member
Way to look outside the box and not drink the koolaide, Randy. If made mandatory, this would be the final nail in the coffin for a lot of low budget teams. The threat of fire is way greater than the threat of hitting something from the front, as you stated. And 25G's is the min for this addition, plus MORE added weight. As I have stated before, this is a dangerous sport, we all know that and the drivers accept that every time they get in the car. If they cannot, it is time to hang up the helmet.
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