John force (4 Viewers)

[Ramjet]

While it is really nice to have 9 pages of concerned Fans and Racers just on this site wishing the best for John, some of the Prognosticators (Soothsayers) who think and/or "know" & should decide the future, they really would do better to just give their concerns (and Prayers) and hope for the best outcome for him and his family. It seems obvious that we are on a "Need to Know" basis - NOT a "Want to Know Basis". The results of Speculation and Assumption are pretty much what happens when you break down the word ASSUME. The crass assumption that it's all about the Points - getting back to racing ASAP - end of career, etc. are about as insensitive as it gets. At this point I would be surprised if John's first thaughts wern't about the well being of all the employs - staff & families that JFR has first if things have to take a different direction.

 

[M Jones]

While it is really nice to have 9 pages of concerned Fans and Racers just on this site wishing the best for John, some of the Prognosticators (Soothsayers) who think and/or "know" & should decide the future, they really would do better to just give their concerns (and Prayers) and hope for the best outcome for him and his family. It seems obvious that we are on a "Need to Know" basis - NOT a "Want to Know Basis". The results of Speculation and Assumption are pretty much what happens when you break down the word ASSUME. The crass assumption that it's all about the Points - getting back to racing ASAP - end of career, etc. are about as insensitive as it gets. At this point I would be surprised of John's first thaughts wern't about the well being of all the employs - staff & families that JFR has first if things have to take a different direction.

Thank you Roger, very well put, the John I know would be very much as you said, I hope the best for him and his family and a great recovery moving forward in his life

 

[sutton]

While it is really nice to have 9 pages of concerned Fans and Racers just on this site wishing the best for John, some of the Prognosticators (Soothsayers) who think and/or "know" & should decide the future, they really would do better to just give their concerns (and Prayers) and hope for the best outcome for him and his family. It seems obvious that we are on a "Need to Know" basis - NOT a "Want to Know Basis". The results of Speculation and Assumption are pretty much what happens when you break down the word ASSUME. The crass assumption that it's all about the Points - getting back to racing ASAP - end of career, etc. are about as insensitive as it gets. At this point I would be surprised of John's first thaughts wern't about the well being of all the employs - staff & families that JFR has first if things have to take a different direction.

Can we hear AAAAMEND.
Roger you should have put in a lot of, should have, could have, would have, I would have, ETC, ETC,
Larry Sutton---

 

[LAZYC]

Randy
You missed it. at the very start of the Lombardo video 0:03 that is me less my cowboy hat and bald head an all, Just getting out of the Hard Times top fuel car for some reason, I don't remember why. donning my cowboy hat and returning to the starting line.
PS; calling me a Redneck I will accept any day LOL
Larry Sutton---

I knew all those guys pretty well, Guy with beard at starting line is Tom Koni (Johns right hand guy back then) the guy down track with black jacket and Levis is Pretty Paul, and the other guy on the starting line behind the car is Steve Pluger. Two are dead for sure not sure about Tom?

 

[yoda]

I hate to say it, but I think we all knew this was how it was going to end for him. It's a bummer he couldn't have bowed out gracefully, like many begged him to do; but, rather, on fire and medevac'd out.

On fire, medevac'd out, yeah. But Don't forget- he also WON the round. That's John in a nutshell.

 

[Slowpoke96z28]

And, the results need to be made public.

The way the body broke up, if the air cylinder mount or lever mount broke, it wouldn't work, and probably would've been too high for him to reach by hand. Just my 2¢.

 

[TK]

John Force Moving Forward in Recovery Process | Drag Illustrated

After five tense days during which he was heavily sedated while battling the effects of injuries suffered in the 300 mile-per-hour crash of his drag racing Funny Car, 16-time NHRA World Champion John Force has begun to show daily signs of improvement, according to family members who have...

dragillustrated.com

 

[Nick Rienstra]

No more body teathers and soft walls like I’ve been saying for years now. If the body came off the chutes would have been out the car would have been drivable. If the walls were soft we most likely would bet talking about head injuries. All of us here need to be demanding at least one of these solutions or begin the inevitable talk of either taking multi-thousands of horsepower away or race to the 330’ only. Something MUST CHANGE!

 

[Chili]

No more body teathers and soft walls like I’ve been saying for years now. If the body came off the chutes would have been out the car would have been drivable. If the walls were soft we most likely would bet talking about head injuries. All of us here need to be demanding at least one of these solutions or begin the inevitable talk of either taking multi-thousands of horsepower away or race to the 330’ only. Something MUST CHANGE!

While we don’t want our racers seriously injured, there are cause and effects in any rule change. If a body comes off and ends up in the stands and injures or kills spectators, you can forget about ever seeing nitro funny cars again. The insurance rates would go through the roof and maybe so expensive the tracks or NHRA could not afford them. Same deal with soft walls. I’m not familiar with exactly how they work. However I would think that it would be possible for them to be more hazardous to a car going 300 MPH. Could a header get stuck brushing the wall and cause a more significant incident? Also another possible expense that each national event track would need to purchase. Also would there be more significant downtime following an incident where the wall would need to be repaired? Very few are going to attend when they switch nitro cars to 330’ per your suggestion. Yeah it sucks when one of our racers get hurt or injured but every single one of them makes that choice to get behind the wheel of their racecar.

 

[Custom Body Fan]

If a body comes off and ends up in the stands and injures or kills spectators, you can forget about ever seeing nitro funny cars again.

I agree with everything Chris says. And further, it could be that insurance companies won’t even insure tracks less there are tethers.

It seems soft walls should be explored. The problem is it would narrow the lanes, but I hope NHRA looks into whether they are feasible and beneficial.

 

[DixonFan]

John Force moving forward in recovery process

After five tense days during which he was heavily sedated while battling the effects of injuries suffered in the 300 mile-per-hour crash of his drag racing Funny Car, 16-time NHRA World Champion John Force has begun to show daily signs of improvement, according to family members who have...

www.nhra.com

 

[J. S.]

...........And further, it could be that insurance companies won’t even insure tracks less there are tethers.

Could the tethers be made longer, so the body could blow clear of the car?

 

[NITRO JUNKIE]

I did a little bit of research this morning. Soft walls cost about $175 per foot. I went on Google maps, I measured from about the '330 to about half way through the shut off. Since you probably don't need them the entire track length. That is 2000 feet. If softwalls were installed at Pomona it would cost $350,000 for both lanes. I used Pomona for an example because it is the shortest track on tour.

 

[Nick Rienstra]

Body teathers are dangerous. They don’t contain all the parts which can still go into the stands or the other lane. Now you have a broken body trying to make the car fly or nose parts in the steering/front tires, nobody can drive that. Force has had that circumstance happen multiple times now. Not to mention broken tubing bouncing around potentially stabbing the driver.

When was the last time a spectator was killed by any parts from a race car going down the track? When was the last time a body went into the stands and killed someone? Last spectator death from racing came from a tire that I remember.

Every ticket sold comes with a liability waver.

Soft walls are softer than concrete.

Bowing down to insurance companies is a bad idea for the continuation of freedom.

Maybe Top Fuel and Funny Car need to remove the blowers? Alcohol classes as the pros?

 

[Tybamf]

Body teathers are dangerous. They don’t contain all the parts which can still go into the stands or the other lane. Now you have a broken body trying to make the car fly or nose parts in the steering/front tires, nobody can drive that. Force has had that circumstance happen multiple times now. Not to mention broken tubing bouncing around potentially stabbing the driver.

When was the last time a spectator was killed by any parts from a race car going down the track? When was the last time a body went into the stands and killed someone? Last spectator death from racing came from a tire that I remember.

Every ticket sold comes with a liability waver.

Soft walls are softer than concrete.

Bowing down to insurance companies is a bad idea for the continuation of freedom.

Maybe Top Fuel and Funny Car need to remove the blowers? Alcohol classes as the pros?

You still believe the illusion that we are free in this country?

 

[4onthefl4]

When was the last time a spectator was killed by any parts from a race car going down the track? When was the last time a body went into the stands and killed someone? Last spectator death from racing came from a tire that I remember.

I believe that was from Antron Browns car.

 

[TSK]

The first thing that needs to happen is to find out why the chutes on Force’s car did not deploy.

 

[Chili]

I believe that was from Antron Browns car.

I was there that day. Scary watching that tire bounce down the track. It barely missed the pitside grandstands into an open area by the nostalgia funny car teams. Unfortunately it was a relative of one of the team members that was hit and killed. Being that they were involved in racing I don’t think there was ever a lawsuit over the incident.

 

[Ponyhntr]

I did a little bit of research this morning. Soft walls cost about $175 per foot. I went on Google maps, I measured from about the '330 to about half way through the shut off. Since you probably don't need them the entire track length. That is 2000 feet. If softwalls were installed at Pomona it would cost $350,000 for both lanes. I used Pomona for an example because it is the shortest track on tour. View attachment 14648

You might want to re-check your measurement, as your stopping point is not at the turnoff (sand trap). From the starting line to sand trap it's approximately 3450' at Pomona.

 

[Slowpoke96z28]

Soft walls are an idea. If they are expended in a race and it takes time to replace, so be it. I think we can come up with other ways to limit the G the brain takes also though. Dare I say crumple zones, but they don't have to be designed with cost, form and ease of manufacture as the primary design drivers. The bodies are already designed by the OEMs. Maybe its time the OEMs start working with chassis makers to ensure there's some synergy between the body and the chassis.