John Force Racing...LATEST UPDATE.... (1 Viewer)

[Nitrohelper]

"whats 30 mph going to do" ?

It's not the speed as such, because the tires are damaged at 4G's ( B4 600') between the down force and super tight tracks. The "extra" 30 mph only adds more centrifugal load. Look at the 1000' pictures. BIG pucker factor
Goodyear has indicated a 340 max design now , so then @ 300 +/-, thats a 40 mph safety factor ! !

Slowing them down is quite easy, ONE magneto also controls the fuel pump size by dropping cylinders, a SMALL injector opening to control the boost, and let them use " 95% " for the real tuners & great sound , NO rev-limiter. never
Then lower the wing and cut the spill plates. Wow NO new parts to buy for that rule , just some welding.
(plus more spare mag parts!)

When they go 310 mph again in the future, then go to smaller cubic inches , with a 4" maximum stroke . Thats less torque into the tires.
(will help keep the rods in)

I've run this tune-up to over 292 mph in 1991 @91%, can't be to hard to run it over 300 now? ?
Let Alan test it , and Coil has his notes from the 90's.

 

[Bobby]

"whats 30 mph going to do" ?

It's not the speed as such, because the tires are damaged at 4G's ( B4 600') between the down force and super tight tracks. The "extra" 30 mph only adds more centrifugal load. Look at the 1000' pictures. BIG pucker factor
Goodyear has indicated a 340 max design now , so then @ 300 +/-, thats a 40 mph safety factor ! !

Slowing them down is quite easy, ONE magneto also controls the fuel pump size by dropping cylinders, a SMALL injector opening to control the boost, and let them use " 95% " for the real tuners & great sound , NO rev-limiter. never
Then lower the wing and cut the spill plates. Wow NO new parts to buy for that rule , just some welding.
(plus more spare mag parts!)

When they go 310 mph again in the future, then go to smaller cubic inches , with a 4" maximum stroke . Thats less torque into the tires.
(will help keep the rods in)

I've run this tune-up to over 292 mph in 1991 @91%, can't be to hard to run it over 300 now? ?
Let Alan test it , and Coil has his notes from the 90's.

listen to this man.

 

[Mike]

Limit the size of the fuel. Do anything you want but the fuel is going through a line this certain size. Easy to police and not much of a cost to teams.

 

[Rajunz]

Seriously, a new design on the wing would work, lower struts and a smaller wing element, less area on the funny cars. This would slow them down immediately, they would only be able to throw so much horsepower at the track surface. All teams would adapt just as they do to get down marginal race tracks. This would also relieve alot of the down force applied to the tires.

 

[Toejam]

Does anybody think 300 MPH makes this sport completely safe?? I can think of some major wrecks that happened at 220-240? Shirley Muldowney anyone? Does anybody remember Jerry Caminito's severe crash at Memphis back in like '94? He was on a 5.40@270 pass when his car blew through that Guardrail.

 

[.]

Restrictor Plates should do it.......................................

Hell, just make them run with the chutes out the entire run.

 

[TAFC 5 81]

How much does the multi-stage clutch add to the equation? The performance really improved in the first two years of that addition. I know there were serious accidents when the cars were slower, but does today's power (7500 HP?) cause things to happen earlier in the run that 5000 HP did not do?

 

[yoda]

300 to 330? Maybe not, but a 4.70 from a 4.48 Looks like molasses! It would take MAJOR rule changes to take 30 MPH out of those cars! As if this sports not expensive enough....

Mike pegged it... Less fuel, less air= less power.. Smaller pumps (that are currently available) and smaller scoops (which are currently available) will knock the snot out of these bulls..And its a tuneup that most crew chiefs can get a handle on. Better racng for everyone- fans included.

Discussed this last night with folks that know, and the 30 MPH reduction, when both cars are doing it, would be inperceptable to the fans in the stands and the TV eye. What it will do is reduce the 10% additional stresses that the cars are subjected to at 330.

True, it will never be TOTALLY SAFE, but it will reduce the amounts of failures that the equipment of today would suffer, as many of the pro parts are engineered to work to the current speeds/stresses. We can't have it both ways, so safer and kinda fast gets my vote over psychotically fast and right on the ragged edge.

 

[Husky]

Does anybody think 300 MPH makes this sport completely safe?? I can think of some major wrecks that happened at 220-240? Shirley Muldowney anyone? Does anybody remember Jerry Caminito's severe crash at Memphis back in like '94? He was on a 5.40@270 pass when his car blew through that Guardrail.

I've been biting my "proverbial" tongue but I have to chime in. Many of the nastiest crashes have been well short of the stripe and the 330 mark. Dixon, Bernstein, Smith, Shoe and Millican are a few examples. The sport has an inherent danger factor, as do many others, that's no secret. ACCIDENTS happen.
Many S/G cars and high six second cars have crashed and their drivers lost lives. ACCIDENTS happen.
You can and do have high standards and rules that are religiously enforced but that won't stop ACCIDENTS from happening. No one knows that better than the guys and gals who pilot them.
Neither will castrating these cars to the point where they'll reclassify them S/TF and S/FC JM$.02, Keep up the research and testing of equipment and procedures and keep that pointer finger down.

 

[Greg]

Just reduce fuel volume and ignition, then let them go back to 100% nitro.

 

[Bobby]

Just reduce fuel volume and ignition, then let them go back to 100% nitro.

music to my ears (and eyes)

 

[D]

I don't know it seems like every rule that's been put in place to slow the cars down has only increased cost and carnage AND still not achieved the desired result. Maybe they need to go all the way back to rear gear ratio limitation and reevaluate everything.

S/F
D

 

[Eracer]

It is awesome Force Racing and NHRA are working together in this effort. I am also very pleased that Force Racing is back at the track.

Here's a couple of thoughts on slowing the cars down:
One fuel pump / One mag = less $$$
Also smaller wings (spill plates F/C) = less downforce = less tire failures
I don't claim to know all the answers but; these seem to make sense.

See ya in Vega$ if we don't get snowed in - 10" before tomorrow night.

 

[Joker]

I'm not sure what the answer is but I dont want them to slow down the cars. I really dont see the difference if you hit a wall at 330 mph vs 300 mph. Either way its going to be bad. I also am not a proponet of the 1/8th mile fuel racing. So I am not sure what the solution is. My way of thinking is make it as safe as possible, the guys who do this know the risk, and lets learn from every unfortunate accident and try to prevent further injuries and lets go racing.

 

[Bob]

300 to 330? Maybe not, but a 4.70 from a 4.48 Looks like molasses! It would take MAJOR rule changes to take 30 MPH out of those cars! As if this sports not expensive enough....

Gotta disagree with you Joe. While a 4.70 looks slow when the car in the other lane is in the 4.40's, when they are both going that quick, or slow, as the case may be, the difference is negligible. There have been many times I've seen pairs of fuel cars run where the numbers didn't look as good as the run.

 

[mike]

I'm not sure what the answer is but I dont want them to slow down the cars. I really dont see the difference if you hit a wall at 330 mph vs 300 mph. Either way its going to be bad. I also am not a proponet of the 1/8th mile fuel racing.

Why can't there be more Justins' out there?

 

[willy]

I like Jerry N.'s post above..

I mag..smaller pump..run 95%..what's the matter with that.

The way it is now..you pretty much have to be lucky to NOT break something on a run. They are being pushed way to hard due to the last safety changes implemented. 85% made everything work harder.

I don't say this for safety reasons..more for the cost. Man, it'd be nice to hear a 95% cackle from these guys again! And it'd be good racing.

 

[yoda]

I'm not sure what the answer is but I dont want them to slow down the cars. I really dont see the difference if you hit a wall at 330 mph vs 300 mph. Either way its going to be bad. I also am not a proponet of the 1/8th mile fuel racing. So I am not sure what the solution is. My way of thinking is make it as safe as possible, the guys who do this know the risk, and lets learn from every unfortunate accident and try to prevent further injuries and lets go racing.

Justin- the hitting the wall part isn't the issue- hasn't been in drag racing for a while. If you hit something, no matter what speed, there will be carnage...

The speed change is because the stuff that makes up a race car is now starting to show its limitations. At 265 (half track) there is less of a chance of pipe bending, rods breaking and tires failing than there will be at 285 (half track). And it has been mentioned here and other places before- most of the recent issues, with the exception of Blaine's accident, have not been when the car was at top speed, but at 660-1000', when the car was undergoing its big clutch application and trying to pick up another 50mph in the next 300-500 feet.. Lots of forces at work there that seem to be taking its toll on the existing equipment, whether it be tires, chassis, engines or areodynamic devices.

I agree that we should let everyone just go race, but sooner or later, the incidents caused by mechanical failure of today's technology will overwhelm the excitement of an additional 15mph, and the sport as we know it could come to an end- don't forget- the insurance carrier can look at the accident ratio and pull the plug faster than sh*t and then NOBODY, from Stockers to Fuelers, will be able to make any passes... And believe me, if another insurance carrier came on AFTER K&K split, you can bet the rent that they won't be as $$ kind on their premiums... How does that $150 Sunday seat sound to see an extra 30mph?...

 

[johnny]

Me personally, I'm for controlling costs. If the by-product is the cars slowing down and they're safer, it's a win-win. Funny Car racing is just as exciting @ 4.90 as it is @ 4.60. There are plenty of races at the former, during the heat of summer, and nobody's asking for a refund. If the cars become more manageable, the additional by-product is more racers and side by side races.

Rules certainly have contributed to the level of parity that now exists in Funny Car.

My additional opinion is fuel/spark management appears a more reasonable solution. Decreasing grip is potetially dangerous and at that, defeats the purpose.

 

[Larry]

Limit the size of the fuel. Do anything you want but the fuel is going through a line this certain size. Easy to police and not much of a cost to teams.

Not quite that easy as it sounds. Those engines really get weird when starved for fuel.
They would have to go back to older designs that use less fuel and don't grenade so yes thats expensive.
Then the crew chiefs would start over making more power with less fuel.
I think its called Competition.
A good crew chief can indeed make a silk purse outta a sows ear and have some left over for next round.