John force (1 Viewer)

[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.

 

[z28]

would it be possible to have a set of soft walls that could go from race to race and be hung over existing walls. That would make the cost much easier to manage.

 

[NITRO JUNKIE]

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.

Yes, I did that on purpose. I was trying to make it as affordable as possible, while still trying to make the walls safer. I started at 330' because very few accidents happen before that, and there wouldn't be as much energy hitting the wall as there would be past the 330'. I stopped the safer walls half way through the shut off because if someone got the wall way down there they would most likely have been able to scrape off a decent amount of speed, and there wouldn't be as much energy. Like I said above about the 330', not many accidents happen way down there, unless someone is going in the sand.

 

[Slowpoke96z28]

Sounds kinda final for John Forces racing future!

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/motor/nhra/2024/06/30/john-force-update-nhra-crash/74261097007/ What a horrible way to end a legendary career, Not saying it’s his last hurrah but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was

nitromater.com

Interesting lol. Unless he's in contention for the championship again or Prock is in the other lane.

 

[GumbyWVU]

Sounds kinda final for John Forces racing future!

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/motor/nhra/2024/06/30/john-force-update-nhra-crash/74261097007/ What a horrible way to end a legendary career, Not saying it’s his last hurrah but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was

nitromater.com

Interesting lol. Unless he's in contention for the championship again or Prock is in the other lane.

I've been wondering if Force and Coil still talk any. Didn't they bury the hatchet a few years ago?

Also, I wonder if Force might develop vision problems from this. Wasn't that one reason Garlits stepped away for awhile? And he didn't even had a wreck like this one.

 

[TSK]

I've been wondering if Force and Coil still talk any. Didn't they bury the hatchet a few years ago?

Also, I wonder if Force might develop vision problems from this. Wasn't that one reason Garlits stepped away for awhile? And he didn't even had a wreck like this one.

I believe Garlits stepped away due to a detached retina.
I had read that he was using two parachutes during some test runs, and the negative G-forces caused the eye problem.

 

[4onthefl4]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong on this, but I believe Garlits once said, "the only thing I want to move in that roll cage is my eyes" or something along those lines.
Obviously referring to head injury.

 

[Randy]

Didn't Joe Amato step away for the same reason?

 

[Percboy]

Didn't Joe Amato step away for the same reason?

Yeah that and I`ve seen 80s-90s national events (on YouTube) where Joe could barely get in and out of the car due to back pain.

 

[Cliff]

Larry Sutton has a story about back pain & driving a T/F car.....

 

[GumbyWVU]

Larry Sutton has a story about back pain & driving a T/F car.....

I remember years ago my old man said he wondered how Connie K ever got in and out of one.

Speaking of which, was Connie at Norwalk? We never saw him, at least at the starting line area.

 

[Slowpoke96z28]

Any news health wise?

 

[Dragracer]

The Force family has said John has a long road ahead for his recovery. No one knows what the long term result of his tramatic head injury will be and he also has numerous other injuries so his return to driving I think are very questionable. It's also questionable whether a doctor would sign off on his physical for his license with his age at that time and his previous injuries. I hope he has a full recovery but the TBI is a real major problem. If you remember his last real bad crash his rehab took almost a year and he is much older now.

 

[Dragracer]

I saw a picture of him in a hospital bed with a cast on his left arm & leg. Other than that nothing stuck out. I think he was on the phone it looked like.

Old picture.

 

[Slowpoke96z28]

The Force family has said John has a long road ahead for his recovery. No one knows what the long term result of his tramatic head injury will be and he also has numerous other injuries so his return to driving I think are very questionable. It's also questionable whether a doctor would sign off on his physical for his license with his age at that time and his previous injuries. I hope he has a full recovery but the TBI is a real major problem. If you remember his last real bad crash his rehab took almost a year and he is much older now.

Tbi is something all over the place. As an OEF/OIF veteran having dealt with it and knowing people dealing with it, I’ve seen them all over the spectrum, from 100% functional to barely more cognitive ability than a 3rd grade kid. We can’t just hear TBI and let out minds start jumping to conclusions.

 

[Dragracer]

And, the results need to be made public.

Info on John's health will be released when the Force family determines they want too. NHRA has nothing to do with that. NHRA rarely or never publishes information about a crash. If they find something that failed they usually make that available to the teams but never published for the public. 99.5% of the "NEVER HAD A RACECAR" person who just wants to know wouldn't even know what they are talking about anyway

 

[Dragracer]

And, the results need to be made public.

Never happen. If it's a problem with the current car/body/etc. the teams will be notified but not made public.

 

[Slowpoke96z28]

Never happen. If it's a problem with the current car/body/etc. the teams will be notified but not made public.

The in information would be available. They won’t broadcast it, but it will be available. That way teams and chassis builders can start developing fixes. Why would they only allow one team to have that?

As fas as the health news, HIPAA makes it illegal for anyone on his medical team to share anything John does not clear to be shared. If I had to guess, JFR as an organization probably isn’t asking him constantly what to share outside of that. As he recoups, maybe they will will ask him. Now anyone not part of any entity providing medical care to him can say whatever. Let’s say Adria’s mom or Laurie want something private, but Brittany gets interviewed, she can say whatever she wants. The NHRA can also release whatever info they have, with or without the family’s blessing. They are not his employer so they are not bound by anything in HIPAA.

 

[turbo ken]

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