Nitro Cane
Nitro Member
Thank you Sir.
Nitromater
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Epping 2025 (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter mick
- Start date
I am sorry to repeat my self but someone is going to get hurt, mark my words. I have said the crew members playing the game of dodging cars on the burn out is BS. Now Q1 the top fuel car driven by Rit Pustari had a crew member adjusting the wheelie bar with the car totally staged and he left the line with the crew member still adjusting it. As Larry Morgan has said you "Cant fix stupid" lucky for that guy he didn't stay hooked with the car.
Larry Sutton---
I was there at Epping several years ago for a Lucas Oil race. A Top Sportsman car did a burnout and broke something, dropping pieces on the ground. The rear tire kicked up a piece and hit a guy who was standing behind the car near his eye. He was about an inch away from losing his eye. Too many people are behind the cars when they are doing burnouts.
Now they just need to get Erica going a little better. Another spate of meh .070-something RT's again. I realize it's qualifying but Erica was known for teenage and .020-something RT's all weekend long. I'm still not convinced that car is reacting as quickly at the hit as it should be so it wouldn't be fair to point the finger just at her.
Racers like Dallas Glenn (.020, .011, .033, .017) will eat her sack lunch tomorrow if that doesn't change.
I have reported some of the times I was run over or blowen up on the starting line. but most of the members here do not know about the crew members that were killed or injured and there were many, including Don Garlits former crew chief Herb Parks, ran over and killed by a car backing up. plus one at Irwindale killed during a reverse gear try hop. On the drivers commission for 28 years I was given list of all NHRA accidents many were crew member injured or killed on the starting line. I know the starting line is more dangerous that driving a race car. voice of experience here. Also I saved Brent Kepner from getting killed at Fremont, he had his back to a top fuel backing up fast. I tackled him a we rolled over in front of the tower.
Larry Sutton---
Larry Sutton---
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BaldyLochs
Nitro Member
We used to push the cars without reversers all the way back to the tree. The now-standard practice of pushing the cars through the water box on burnout still really scares me. Aside from looking ridiculous, I’m just waiting for a trip, a stumble….. and it’s going to be ugly when it happens. I understand the science of why it’s done….. I get that; but ……just …. but. And that’s all I’m going to say about that.
I’ll say this much …. I don’t EVER want to see another person EVER hurt at a car race…. I don’t care if you’re a driver, a spectator or a photographer or the Bratwurst cooker or the parking lot flagger or track owner.
I’ll say this much …. I don’t EVER want to see another person EVER hurt at a car race…. I don’t care if you’re a driver, a spectator or a photographer or the Bratwurst cooker or the parking lot flagger or track owner.
Just to add how dumb some crew members are. A crew guy for a rocket motor cycle was watching the bike run in the other lane on a special running before Lions opened for the day. he was not watching were he was going and ran over me, flattening my right foot up against my shin. the security guard asked why he didn't stop. He said he looked in the rear view mirror and I had set back up and realized he hadn't killed me and he had to get the bike.
Larry Sutton---
Larry Sutton---
stitcherbob
Nitro Member
I remember the Herb Parks incident....very sad. As all of them are. And there's the one with Tony Pedregon where the FC throttle got whacked when they raised the body and bowled everyone over. I think the nitro flames evaporated Austin Coil's pants.I have reported some of the times I was run over or blowen up on the starting line. but most of the members here do not know about the crew members that were killed or injured and there were many, including Don Garlits former crew chief Herb Parks, ran over and killed by a car backing up. plus one at Irwindale killed during a reverse gear try hop. On the drivers commission for 28 years I was given list of all NHRA accidents many were crew member injured or killed on the starting line. I know the starting line is more dangerous that driving a race car. voice of experience here. Also I saved Brent Kepner from getting killed at Fremont, he had his back to a top fuel backing up fast. I tackled him a we rolled over in front of the tower.
Larry Sutton---
Larry, you and Buster Couch certainly had your hands full with the level of danger quadrupling every season as the cars got nastier and nastier.....
Bubba
Nitro Member
Once a car is fired, there should be no human propulsion allowed. As someone once said, they're not shopping carts.
Go to a big no-prep event sometime at a regional track where they'll literally have a hundred or more people standing directly behind the cars (within 15-20 feet) betting on the winner. Our track is guilty of this too. And we're not talking your Mom's Buick - we're talking stuff you see on Street Outlaws with 4000hp ProLine and BAE hemis capable of 3.80 660' times. If the announcer asks them to clear out they just ignore the request and stand there anyway despite being peppered by small debris during the burnouts.
Carl, I can tell that the real Street Outlaws are a track rental this year so they bring their own insurance. Not saying its ok but at least the track insurance is off the hook. Keep in mind we had them at Bakersfield last month and they sell starting line tickets. Not actually where we see the big crowds but still right next to the burnout area.........
sfw1960
Nitro Member
ZWeinstein
Nitro Member
Larry I have a question when it comes down to starting line procedures at the national/divisional levels. I always thought you have assistant starters for each lane checking for safety. Making sure windows, window nets, doors, etc are latched properly and the driver is properly wearing all the safety gear that is necessary and another safety safari member making sure the vehicle is not leaking. Once that is done, the last check is to make sure no crew is in a dangerous spot. I thought the chief starter watches his assistants and once they give the all clear he then motions them forward. I did not see what happened Friday but I saw a very similar situation happen with an A/Fuel crew member at a divisional race at Firebird a couple years ago and it was about one second away and maybe a foot away from being a very tragic situation.
Basically my question is, and Im not trying to blame the starter/starting line crew because at the end of the day its a crew member's duty to make sure they are not working on the car as its staging, but how is the starter able to activate the tree with a crew member in a dangerous position?
Basically my question is, and Im not trying to blame the starter/starting line crew because at the end of the day its a crew member's duty to make sure they are not working on the car as its staging, but how is the starter able to activate the tree with a crew member in a dangerous position?
ZWeinstein
Nitro Member
The same thing happened to Johnna Dunn a few years ago at Pomona I think. I believe a rock got kicked up and broke her nose. Ever since then I always get a little squeamish watching people walking behind while a car is doing a burnout. I personally tried my best to wait until they were done and rolling forward to walk around.
I also agree with what others have stated, these races with a thousand folks crowding the starting line and burnout boxes is a disaster waiting to happen. Even if you are fully aware of your surroundings (I would guess that is a small percentage of those crowds) you cant bail because its elbow to *******.
Times have changed. All control of racing and decision making is controlled by the race director in the tower. the starter is for turning on the AUTO START you don't see anyone checking for anything. The only time someone is shut off is when RAY CHARLES could see the issue. There are teams for mops, gold dust, leaf blowers, scraping track, spraying the track. Just watch and you will see what I am talking about.
BTW quiz-- Can you name the starter for the NHRA. no points if he is a family member or your friend.
Larry Sutton---
starter and racer (RET.)
DG
Nitro Member
Too many years ago, I was covering a Divisional race at the old Sacramento race track for www.DragRaceCentral.com and they ran a pair of jet cars at the end of day on Saturday.
Both jets had staged and were reving up for launch, when the track owner's adult son wasn't paying enough attention and walked right across the huge exhaust from one of the jets and went "******* over Teakettle" into the air and sailed back towards the burnout box.
Luckily for him, outside of a few scrapes and a lot of embarrassment , he was OK!
Both jets had staged and were reving up for launch, when the track owner's adult son wasn't paying enough attention and walked right across the huge exhaust from one of the jets and went "******* over Teakettle" into the air and sailed back towards the burnout box.
Luckily for him, outside of a few scrapes and a lot of embarrassment , he was OK!
LasVegas87
Nitro Member
She did go .014 in rd 1. As with Brittany, I think confidence in the car translates to better RTs. Just my observation, I know there's a LOT more that goes into it. Hoping it leads to more excitement with Elite vs KB, always a fun rivalry.
LasVegas87
Nitro Member
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