Jeff Arend thinks everyone should race to 1,000' (1 Viewer)

[MoparBilly]

Would Mark Niver still be alive if the Alky classes ran to 1000' instead of 1320'?

Thank you Bob!!
The alcohol performances have improved to the point where they are marginal on National Event tracks, and downright dangerous on many Divisional level tracks. Top Sportsman and Top Dragster are nearly there on the marginal Divisional tracks. Folks, the performance of EVERY class has improved thier speeds to the point that 1000' racing would be comparable in speed to where they were 20 years ago.

You have 135 mph stockers, 160 mph SS cars, Super Classes all have splits of 30 to 50 mph between the slowest to the fastest...it's time, honestly.
I'm a racer, I race S/ST, and I go to compete, and turn on a win light. I'm also a fan, and I enjoy watching great performances and good racing. I don't enjoy watching friends injured, or killed, so a couple of beer drinking ole fogies can whoop and holler about the numbers on the board.

 

[Gregg Pickens]

Jeff - I forgot to add good luck at the Gators! Being one of the longest tracks on the tour I look forward to seeing you rip it up and setting low ET.

Gregg

 

[Bullard Anderson]

Just spent part of the evening watch the 1994 Houston Slick 50 Nationals on YouTube. All 8 parts Looked Great to Me! Not to mention looking at some different camera angles vs. the current ESPN2 set up over the years.

Slower speeds, more track, more visible racing.

 

[Toejam]

Or Neal Parker?

Better yet.............Phil Burghard if Super Gas ran 1,000-foot?

Forget it, Bob. The people that insist that the facilities are the problem don't get it and never will.

Sean D

Maybe we should just make all tracks 330', that way we can be certain nobody will risk their lives!

 

[Toejam]

Or Neal Parker?

Better yet.............Phil Burghard if Super Gas ran 1,000-foot?

Forget it, Bob. The people that insist that the facilities are the problem don't get it and never will.

Sean D

Agrred, I think NHRA should bite the Bullit and just shorten the tracks to 330'! The Risk of injury is just to great anymore, we can't have these guys and gals risking their lives anymore!

 

[Sean D, shondoo]

Agrred, I think NHRA should bite the Bullit and just shorten the tracks to 330'! The Risk of injury is just to great anymore, we can't have these guys and gals risking their lives anymore!

Amen, brother! The 1,000-foot deal is just another knee-jerk reaction that should've never happened.

Sean D

 

[clwill]

Would Mark Niver still be alive if the Alky classes ran to 1000' instead of 1320'?

I wasn't going to comment on this, as arguing this kind of woulda/shoulda/coulda is just not healthy. But I watched this happen live, and this comment has been eating me for the last couple days.

It's not clear at all that 1000' would be the way to fix this tragedy. Seattle is already one of the longer shutdowns on the circuit. The root causes of Mark's accident were broken parachute attachment points, and brake fade/failure. NHRA addressed both of these with different attachment point rules, and mandatory carbon fiber brakes.

It seems wrong to me to trot out the names of all the dead in the sport in this case. Safety is improved by finding problems and fixing them, not by castrating the sport so no danger is possible.

 

[BigDaddyB]

Great post Chris

 

[Sean D, shondoo]

I wasn't going to comment on this, as arguing this kind of woulda/shoulda/coulda is just not healthy. But I watched this happen live, and this comment has been eating me for the last couple days.

It's not clear at all that 1000' would be the way to fix this tragedy. Seattle is already one of the longer shutdowns on the circuit. The root causes of Mark's accident were broken parachute attachment points, and brake fade/failure. NHRA addressed both of these with different attachment point rules, and mandatory carbon fiber brakes.

It seems wrong to me to trot out the names of all the dead in the sport in this case. Safety is improved by finding problems and fixing them, not by castrating the sport so no danger is possible.

Absolutely agree, period, Chris. I've referenced former Super Gas Racer Phil Burghard on several occassions while debating this topic over the past couple of years. I was at Gateway when he was lost and everybody knows St. Louis has more than adequate shut-down, especially for Super Gas. Your summary of the parts malfunctions couldn't be more spot-on. When you have things like this happen, no track may be long enough.

Sean D

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

Maybe we should just make all tracks 330', that way we can be certain nobody will risk their lives!

Now Joe....remember it took 60 years to get to the point that we had to shortin the tracks. I don't think we will have to shortin them again soon.

 

[hotrod]

Those of you that think they should go back to 1320' should let them strap you to the roof of a funny car and then make two passes. One to the 1000' mark and one to the 1320' mark. Then let us know just how much different the ride was all of the way out the back door to the 1320' mark. I don't think you'll notice much difference really. I'll bet the 1000' ride will be just as exciting as the 1320' ride.

I race a lowly little super pro dragster and we just recently switched from 1000' to 1/8th mile. It's much easier on my parts and my wallet and everyones still beating me just as badly as they did when we raced to 1000'. No big deal. I just get to race a lot longer nowadays on the same dollar.

 

[Bluey]

Remember a few years ago when they dropped the Nitro percentage and we all screamed because " they just don't sound the same".
Today we are quickly approaching 330 mph in 1000 foot. Yet in order to return to the full quarter, you're willing to slow the cars to 290mph. Do you realize what it would take to slow them nearly 40mph??
" WATERED DOWN" is putting it mildly. I truly doubt that any of us would like the feel, or sound, of a 1320/290mph fueler.

The idea of going 1320 on the long tracks, is a possibility. But to do it across the board, no thanks.

Agreed

 

[Bob]

I wasn't going to comment on this, as arguing this kind of woulda/shoulda/coulda is just not healthy. But I watched this happen live, and this comment has been eating me for the last couple days.

It's not clear at all that 1000' would be the way to fix this tragedy. Seattle is already one of the longer shutdowns on the circuit. The root causes of Mark's accident were broken parachute attachment points, and brake fade/failure. NHRA addressed both of these with different attachment point rules, and mandatory carbon fiber brakes.

It seems wrong to me to trot out the names of all the dead in the sport in this case. Safety is improved by finding problems and fixing them, not by castrating the sport so no danger is possible.

Chris, I didn't make a comment, I asked a question, and since you think it's not clear as to whether or not it would have made a difference, it obviously was a valid question.

That said, I absolutely do not consider 1000' racing as "castrating" the sport. I've been to quite a few 1/8 mile tracks, and have watched classes all the way up to and including nitro funny cars and dragsters race to 1/8 mile. All of the talk about slowing the nitro cars down makes less sense to me than shortening the distance between the start and finish lines. The open classes are all about maximum acceleration, and they're already at 275+ at the 1/8th. No track or shutdown distance will eliminate every inherent danger involved in the sport, but a longer shutdown area does allow more time to react to problems while the cars are slowing down.

I hate crashes with a passion. Any time I see a driver crash in any class, I get a knot in my gut. I literally hate it! When I work an event and nobody crashes, it is a good weekend. I care about the people in those cars, even when I don't know them personally.

 

[Toejam]

Shortly after Mark Niver's Death, NHRA mandated Carbon Fiber Brakes on the Alky Classes! As expected some drivers complained about the cost! On another message board where this was discussed, Mark Niver's daughter chimed in saying she thinks the price for Carbon Fiber brakes was minor if it saved a drivers life! I'm basically Paraphrasing here, but she basically thinks Carbon Fiber brakes could have saved her fathers life since he was running Steel brakes!

 

[Greg]

Why do some people here talk about nitro cars as if they are an open class? They are already heavily regulated and one of the more restricted classes out there. Altering those restrictions to keep them safe and able to run a full 1/4 mile can only help, not hinder. I mean seriously, did it suck that bad when a 4.99 @ 300 was a really good run for a funny car?

 

[mike]

Why are people living in the past? Move on with the times and get over it. Yes seeing 4.90 @ 300 mph funny car runs was great at the time, and when they started running 4.8s and 4.7s, 4.6s it was great! Drag racing isn't about going backwards, and if you can't appreciate the times at a 1000ft, go find another sport!

 

[d'kid]

Why do some people here talk about nitro cars as if they are an open class? They are already heavily regulated and one of the more restricted classes out there. Altering those restrictions to keep them safe and able to run a full 1/4 mile can only help, not hinder. I mean seriously, did it suck that bad when a 4.99 @ 300 was a really good run for a funny car?

Should we have slowed them down when fuelers ran quicker than 6.5 in 1969? When they broke into the 5's, when they hit 300mph?
Maybe everyone was shocked when one of the 'rocket cars' ran a 4 in the same time period...

but like it's been said, the cars today are running 1000ft time that are the same as 5 years ago... not quicker, but the cars are about 200 pounds heavier... which is extra inertia to stop.

 

[d'kid]

Thanks MV

 

[mike]

Thanks MV

Haha. No probs brother. I agree with what you wrote above too. These same people would have been going wow over Kb's first 300 and a few years later would have been losing their mind in 94 when he went 314. And so on.

 

[Greg]

Why are people living in the past? Move on with the times and get over it. Yes seeing 4.90 @ 300 mph funny car runs was great at the time, and when they started running 4.8s and 4.7s, 4.6s it was great! Drag racing isn't about going backwards, and if you can't appreciate the times at a 1000ft, go find another sport!

Of course, let's move with the times, and like everything else just keep ignoring the problem. I can't wait until they are only allowed to run to the 1/8th mile. By then they'll probably still be running 300, so it'll still be a great show I'm sure. This has nothing to do with appreciating the times at a 1,000-ft, or any other incremental. The point is, and I believe the point that multiple people have been trying to make is, eventually you will have to slow them down. If you have to slow them down to keep them safe at a 1,000ft, which is inevitable being that they are quickly approaching 330mph, then why not do something now and retain the ability to run 1/4 mile? There's nothing wrong with keeping the class in check. Doing so may actually make it safer, more affordable and increase the car counts. If you can't appreciate those three points, then it's not me who needs to find another sport.