Rexfiles
Nitro Member
Nitromater
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Force eyes protective tub as next project
- Thread starter Bobby Bennett
- Start date
yoda
Nitro Member
Looking forward to seeing what they come up with... I recall some pretty good ideas were tossed around here and in the trailers about a C/F pod from pedals to the top of the cage, intergrated into the superstructure of the existing chassis as opposed to being an add-on/ backhalf concept... $50K? Probably not..
I did come across an old PM from a buddy mentioning that something like this (John's incident) was inevitable- as it has become common practice for JFR cars to clear the lights and the "1319.5 tuneup" goes away and the car radically unloads, causing the chassis to reverse buckle from the 4 seconds of load.. As this PM was from FEBRUARY, its obvious that this incident is something that isn't completely a surprise to most teams.. Personally not being privy to how much heat treating is now taking place since Gainsville, or what areas of the chassis are being subjected to it, I would be, as a team owner, looking for any alternative- putting my driver into a cocoon of Ti/CF/??? to give them just THAT additional bit of safety, regardless of the cost..
I did come across an old PM from a buddy mentioning that something like this (John's incident) was inevitable- as it has become common practice for JFR cars to clear the lights and the "1319.5 tuneup" goes away and the car radically unloads, causing the chassis to reverse buckle from the 4 seconds of load.. As this PM was from FEBRUARY, its obvious that this incident is something that isn't completely a surprise to most teams.. Personally not being privy to how much heat treating is now taking place since Gainsville, or what areas of the chassis are being subjected to it, I would be, as a team owner, looking for any alternative- putting my driver into a cocoon of Ti/CF/??? to give them just THAT additional bit of safety, regardless of the cost..
Ugly one
Nitro Member
When will someone step up and take the blinders off. NHRA needs to ASK, RECEIVE and then LISTEN to the input from all current chassis builders, not just one. Sorry, no knee jerk reactions allowed this time. This would mean that some people would have to perform the job in which they are being paid for. I know that with such a novel approch it would meet stiff resistance because it's logical and it involves WORK. (sorry for the 4 letter word)
When was the last time one of Steve, Dave or Brad's chassis came apart? Everyone is so interested in building a better mousetrap, that they won't listen to the original trap builders. We teach our kids the knowledge is priceless. I'd like to think that all of the drivers are.........PRICELESS.
Fire bottles are ready and the pin pulled, flame on.
When was the last time one of Steve, Dave or Brad's chassis came apart? Everyone is so interested in building a better mousetrap, that they won't listen to the original trap builders. We teach our kids the knowledge is priceless. I'd like to think that all of the drivers are.........PRICELESS.
Fire bottles are ready and the pin pulled, flame on.
From what I have read, it looks like JFR is going to add another bay with x bracing in it. the SFI Spec. Allows for a couple of differant designs in the foot / leg area. Most are built with a single bay with one diagonal, which is only .049 thick, one of the other designs is 2 bays with .058 diagonals. This second design is alot like the drivers compartment of a dragster. I do not have any inside information that is what they are doing, but I would guess that would be a quick and good fix.
"Dr. Dirt"
Nitro Member
Excellent first post Kevin! I agree with the added input idea. There have been too many building/rebuilding/desigining/redesigning chassis structures with extreme doses of experience over the years to ignore their input.
Welcome to the Mater!
Doug in the woods
Nitro Member
Amazing how people forget the simple evolution of a race car. The statement "The recent FC incidents are only happening to the JFR team.
How absurd a statement that is.
Lets look back some 30+ years. A racer loses part of his foot due to a tranny explosion. Oh it's only happening to one driver. Oh my the sky is falling.
Well the term accident is just an unfortunate happening that takes place. We as humans learn from our mistakes (were supposed to) so we improve our enviroment be it in a car design or at work or home.
Accidents happen to everyone. To say it's JFR problem- bull. It's every driver who straps them selves in a land rocket.
Look at the rear view mirror. Developed at Indy 500 after several crashes. Oh thats their problem. Think about who's problem it is if you don't use that mirror the next time your driving.
Accidents happen so lets take the recent events and improve the techinolgy of the present race car. Thanks to JFR that FC's today are required to have a shroud in front of the driver in case of a fire. The extra padding that several teams are using thanks to JFR research.
Instead of stating it's Johns problem we should be thanking him. Who knows maybe from the Medlen Project a safer car that we drive on the city streets may become safer.
How absurd a statement that is.
Lets look back some 30+ years. A racer loses part of his foot due to a tranny explosion. Oh it's only happening to one driver. Oh my the sky is falling.
Well the term accident is just an unfortunate happening that takes place. We as humans learn from our mistakes (were supposed to) so we improve our enviroment be it in a car design or at work or home.
Accidents happen to everyone. To say it's JFR problem- bull. It's every driver who straps them selves in a land rocket.
Look at the rear view mirror. Developed at Indy 500 after several crashes. Oh thats their problem. Think about who's problem it is if you don't use that mirror the next time your driving.
Accidents happen so lets take the recent events and improve the techinolgy of the present race car. Thanks to JFR that FC's today are required to have a shroud in front of the driver in case of a fire. The extra padding that several teams are using thanks to JFR research.
Instead of stating it's Johns problem we should be thanking him. Who knows maybe from the Medlen Project a safer car that we drive on the city streets may become safer.
Ugly one
Nitro Member
Doug,
No one should consider this "only" a JFR problem. The rules committee has had to approve any changes made to the chassis.
I don't see any other input from the original builders being taken into consideration, because they weren't asked. Ford techs are very capable of 0-60 and braking for stop signs. When was the last time one of these techs received "Builder of the Year". NHRA needs to start asking the correct people the correct questions to get the correct answers. As posted by Roo last week. He mentioned that the similarities between Murf and Plugs chassis' were that they both used chromemoly tubing. Someone needs to ask, WHY THE DIFFERENCES
This is just like the tune-ups that we're all so proud of. You try something and go faster, you try a little more. When it doesn't work do you keep moving in that direction. NO, go back to your baseline that you know has a proven history.
No one here got stupid overnite, just emotional. Separate emotion from fact, we'll find answers.
Kevin
P.S. Thanks for the welcome Doc. I've read your posts for years and have always enjoyed the insight.
No one should consider this "only" a JFR problem. The rules committee has had to approve any changes made to the chassis.
I don't see any other input from the original builders being taken into consideration, because they weren't asked. Ford techs are very capable of 0-60 and braking for stop signs. When was the last time one of these techs received "Builder of the Year". NHRA needs to start asking the correct people the correct questions to get the correct answers. As posted by Roo last week. He mentioned that the similarities between Murf and Plugs chassis' were that they both used chromemoly tubing. Someone needs to ask, WHY THE DIFFERENCESThis is just like the tune-ups that we're all so proud of. You try something and go faster, you try a little more. When it doesn't work do you keep moving in that direction. NO, go back to your baseline that you know has a proven history.
No one here got stupid overnite, just emotional. Separate emotion from fact, we'll find answers.
Kevin
P.S. Thanks for the welcome Doc. I've read your posts for years and have always enjoyed the insight.
The only chassis (fuel funny car) builder NHRA consults w/ is Murf McKinney..
He has lobbied more than any other builder for the position..He is their nitro chassis guru on contract...They go to him on fuel funny car chassis advice....no one else..
The NHRA tech dept has not asked Plueger's advice for years....
And Plueger is the only builder who Force gave his championship trophy to when he ran his stuff...Force would love to run his chassis' but cannot afford the time it takes Steve to produce em...
I have said it before....Plueger builds the safest cars out there but will not go into a production/low wage line type of assembly...
Stop by his house in Whittier and speak to him, if he'll open the gate for ya, and he will give you the scoop on the politics behind NHRA and their tech dept....
Heard his phone has been ringing off the hook for orders to build more chassis' for certain teams....But he builds em one @ a time...
He has lobbied more than any other builder for the position..He is their nitro chassis guru on contract...They go to him on fuel funny car chassis advice....no one else..
The NHRA tech dept has not asked Plueger's advice for years....
And Plueger is the only builder who Force gave his championship trophy to when he ran his stuff...Force would love to run his chassis' but cannot afford the time it takes Steve to produce em...
I have said it before....Plueger builds the safest cars out there but will not go into a production/low wage line type of assembly...
Stop by his house in Whittier and speak to him, if he'll open the gate for ya, and he will give you the scoop on the politics behind NHRA and their tech dept....
Heard his phone has been ringing off the hook for orders to build more chassis' for certain teams....But he builds em one @ a time...
