Interesting TF/FC question (1 Viewer)

[Rat]

When a team suffers through an accident of any sorts (fire, crash) and they need to bring out the backup car, what needs to be put together and could/was there ever a case where a team switched to the backup car and never had to miss the following run, let's say it being all ready to go?

 

[Toby]

I worked on the Team Winston car. Topeka, cant remember the year but pre-forged blocks, we blew up friday night and destroyed a chassis. That night we put together the back up car. Then saturday, cant remember if it was Q3 or 4 but blew up again and destroyed another car. By rules we had to keep second car's driver compartment. So saturday night we went to Frank Parks' shop put the front and rear sections of the first car onto the second car, called it Frankenstein and went couple rounds sunday. That doesn't answer your question but it was an interesting scenario.

Brainerd, I think the same year, we had to get out the backup car and had it running in about 45 minutes. Our backup car was race ready, throw an engine and clutch in it and go run. It took more time to get it out of the trailer than to get it running after getting it on the ProJacks.

When a team suffers through an accident of any sorts (fire, crash) and they need to bring out the backup car, what needs to be put together and could/was there ever a case where a team switched to the backup car and never had to miss the following run, let's say it being all ready to go?

 

[Dave]

When a team suffers through an accident of any sorts (fire, crash) and they need to bring out the backup car, what needs to be put together and could/was there ever a case where a team switched to the backup car and never had to miss the following run, let's say it being all ready to go?

This actually would apply only recently due to the Eddie Hill Rule. When Eddie crashed at Sonoma in 1997 he was unable to use a backup car for round 1. Since that point you've been allowed 1 car change until eliminations due to damage. If you tear one up in eliminations you are done. As noted by Toby, their adventures at Topeka in 1999 is the only time I can think of a team even bringing out a spare car.

Shameless plug, you can watch the race here...
1999 NHRA Advance Auto Parts Nationals - YouTube

 

[Usual password less 1]

This actually would apply only recently due to the Eddie Hill Rule. When Eddie crashed at Sonoma in 1997 he was unable to use a backup car for round 1. Since that point you've been allowed 1 car change until eliminations due to damage. If you tear one up in eliminations you are done. As noted by Toby, their adventures at Topeka in 1999 is the only time I can think of a team even bringing out a spare car.

Shameless plug, you can watch the race here...
1999 NHRA Advance Auto Parts Nationals - YouTube

Dan Wilkerson ran one against me in Norwalk this year after they had a bad fire on Q4. They used Tim's back up chassis and body in the first round on Sunday because Tim's spare body wouldn't fit Daniel's chassis.

 

[Just Paul]

I worked on the Team Winston car. Topeka, cant remember the year but pre-forged blocks, we blew up friday night and destroyed a chassis. That night we put together the back up car. Then saturday, cant remember if it was Q3 or 4 but blew up again and destroyed another car. By rules we had to keep second car's driver compartment. So saturday night we went to Frank Parks' shop put the front and rear sections of the first car onto the second car, called it Frankenstein and went couple rounds sunday. That doesn't answer your question but it was an interesting scenario.

I thought they took the back half of John Mitchells spare car?? (Also Hadman)

 

[Dave]

I thought they took the back half of John Mitchells spare car?? (Also Hadman)

According to the Fox Sports tv show they did.

 

[Just Paul]

I'll throw out 3 different examples here.

Last yeat at PBIR Hight damaged a chassis on Friday afternoon, and Friday night they had the back up car out, and ran 4.06 first time down the track.


2nd example.

Shelly Anderson had a blowover in Brainerd in 1996, Friday Night qualifying. They had picked up a new chassis that they were going to assemble after the Brainerd race to use at Indy.

Well, back then 3 piece bolt together chassis were the hot ticket to have. They took 3 sections of chassis out of the trailer still in individual packaging and put a car together from scratch by first session Sat. They had to overnight parts from CA to MN and drive 6 hours round trip to the Minneapolis airport to pick them up. Back in 96 they had to re-qualify the car.

3rd Example.

Del Worsham lost a tire at Indy, I want to say 1999. Wrecked the body, and I think they had damaged a body previous to that, so they were down 2 lids. They went over and bought a black body from Jerry Toliver, brought it back to the pits, and stripped all the WWF and other decals off of it. John Chindemi the traveling decal guy back then, printed out an entire set of CSK decals in white on the spot and had them on the car for the next morning.

 

[Toby]

Yes we did

 

[Rat]

Thanks for the answers.