I do not like this!! Thoughts people?? (Enclosed cockpit)

[BaldyLochs]

I'm on the fence with this one. It might solve the problem of debris getting INTO the cockpit; but what about the person sitting in there being able get OUT in an extreme situation? And could Safety Safari have problems getting into the cockpit? Better be sealed and fire proof. I know the water versions are pretty advanced - so I think they'd have to look at the differences of a boat taking a high speed dive and coming apart vs. a dragster hitting something at a very fast rate of speed...... although according to Ed Hill, water can tear you up just as much as asphalt.
Kudos to Shoe Racing for looking into it though!

 

[Pinocchio]

Well than what was the car Bruce Larson drove?

From Phil Burgess' column a couple weeks ago:Swamp Rat 32 (1992): Garlits didn’t race for years after the Spokane wreck, immersing himself in his museum as well as television work for Diamond P, though he did memorably test-drive Muldowney's car in Dallas in 1989 when he was working with her team as a consultant (something none of us thought we'd ever see!). Garlits became interested again in 1991 and commissioned Murf McKinney to design a new car that again would break the Top Fuel mold that he dubbed the NFR (In the book, he says that stood for "No Funny Rules," which is the cleaned-up version of what the F really stood for). As proposed, the car would be a three-wheeler with a single front wheel that also sported a rudder so that the car would be steerable with the front end off the ground. To combat the growing issue of rear-wing-strut failure, the duo opted for a single center-mount post, sheathed in aerodynamics, which Garlits dubbed the “monowing." In the interest of being able to compete with the car (i.e., having a car that was within the rules), the single front tire and planned movable wing were abandoned, but the monowing stayed and finally was blessed by NHRA. The car, like its predecessors, had a cockpit canopy and small front tires but no nosepiece. It debuted at the NHRA Atlanta race in 1992 and didn't qualify, and, worse yet, Garlits had suffered a detached retina in his right eye in a two-parachute stop during testing and had to leave the cockpit again. Former Funny Car driver Bruce Larson took over the driving duties for the rest of the year and ran as fast as 299 mph with the car.


The pipe for SR 32 was on the jig, but not completed, when we built the Bonneville Streamliner in 1988. The SCTA had #33 open, so the 'liner became SR 33.

 

[Shaggy]

OK after looking over the photos again, how is it possible for this to be a drag boat capsule design when there are roll bars inside it that are still part of the chassis? I actually like the design but was kinda curious about this...

 

[yoda]

The American Way Top Fuel Dragster

The American Way Top Fuel Dragster

Wonder if it could be made to work now, with the use of lightweight construction materials?

 

[cantdrive55]

There have been a few canopy cars over the years. This new dsr canopy car reminds me of the old larry bowers car.

How many canopy cars have there been.

The Mongoose had one back in the 60's with an injected cammer in it
Craig Breedlove had one in fact there were a few "liner" cars around the same time as Breedloves.

Garlits had the most famous one.
Connie Kalitta had one
Darrell Gwynn had one

How many others were there.

Eddie Hill ('87 The Texan)
Shirley Muldowney ('87 Performance Automotive Warehouse)
Joe Amato ('86 TRW as pictured above)
John Carey or Bill Mullins, ('87 pretty sure the car was named Carey's Diesel)

 

[Just Paul]

Garlits had the most famous one.
Connie Kalitta had one
Darrell Gwynn had one
----

Eddie Hill ('87 The Texan)
Shirley Muldowney ('87 Performance Automotive Warehouse)
Joe Amato ('86 TRW as pictured above)
John Carey or Bill Mullins, ('87 pretty sure the car was named Carey's Diesel)

Add:

Gene Snow
Butch Blair
Several others we can go way back to the Glass Slipper or the Mongoo$e Super Mustang.


Joe Amato ran one on more then just that streamliner. That was only run at one national event, BIR 86.

 

[Silly Savage]

Add:

Gene Snow
Butch Blair
Several others we can go way back to the Glass Slipper or the Mongoo$e Super Mustang.


Joe Amato ran one on more then just that streamliner. That was only run at one national event, BIR 86.

Butch Blair's was Amato's old canopy car....

 

[big guy]

I remember back when he Polluted this Place, Buzzz Miller put a Pic up of his Propster that looked like something out of "Chiddy Chiddy Bang bang"! Funny as Hell!

Did you ever see the picture of him personaly.If so you would still be laughing,

 

[Just Paul]

Butch Blair's was Amato's old canopy car....

Yup.. He raced it on sand eventually and crashed it pretty bad after the throttle stuck open on him.

 

[Fast Al]

Anybody mention Gary Ormsby yet?

 

[glofria]

Champion Speed Shop has one on the N/TF.
Champion Speed Shop Blog Archive Qualifying in Brief: 5.92 ET at 214 MPH

They look fine to me. No different than having side windows on F/Cs.

 

[Super Mod]

Yeah , "Big" seemed to think it was a good ideal.
Swamp Rat Gallery, Don Garlits Museum, Ocala, FL

Yeah, and bring back the shovel noses too...they were good for aerobatics

 

[hotrod]

The wind screen that Tony's had on his car this season is very similar to the wind screen on my Bill Massey dragster. This last weekend I had trouble seeing through the screen when the sun hit it just right even though it's a new, unscratched lexan piece. And, I've felt more claustrophobic in this car than any of the other dragsters that I've owned. I absolutely could not have a canopy over me for two reasons. The claustrophobia and the heat. Not to mention that they tend to fog up when the air is cold and damp. When Bill built this car he added a fan in the dash panel facing up towards the screen and I assume it's to correct that very problem. I use it to blow cooler air into my helmet while waiting in line.

 

[Ugly one]

I like it. Anything to keep our drivers safer from explosions - fires - debris... I don't see NHRA putting the kabash on it either, if anything they will make it mandatory for 2012.

Adding more costs to an already out of control situation

 

[Gary H]

So, what happens when the fire extinguishers go off and you're stuck inside? Hold your breath?

 

[Rajunz]

So, what happens when the fire extinguishers go off and you're stuck inside? Hold your breath?

They already use a fresh air system piped into their helmets. That's not an issue.

Things that make you go Hmmmmm.........

 

[TR]

They already use a fresh air system piped into their helmets. That's not an issue.

Things that make you go Hmmmmm.........

The air might not be an issue but what about visibility when they go off. I still vote no.

Rick

 

[Rajunz]

Various Streamliners from years gone by.........

 

[Rajunz]

More recent versions......

 

[FC138fan]

Looks cool. Only issue that I bet will put the kibosh on it will be egress in an emergency. Will be fun to watch!

I thought the enclosed front wheels went away due to the current skinny wheels serving as rudders at speed (similar to the vertical stabilizer on an aircraft)... that and the lil tires kept exploding. Enclose the wheels and lose the rudders.