Johnny Gray: I'm Not Interested In Being a 60-year old Guinea Pig (1 Viewer)

[mike]

How about an additional chute that is attached to a reinforced plate on the back of the body in between where the current ones are mounted. Then have a release cable tethered to the chassis so when the body goes it deploys the chute and air-brakes the body's vertical speed. I know that some might say that keeping the body aloft for longer might let it drift over into the stands, but if you made the chute the right size it would kill the velocity and then let the body drop like a rock. Any thoughts?

That's what I was thinking too; a small drouge chute to slow the body and keep it from having the energy to get high enough to get into the stands...

 

[TSK]

I wish Alan would talk to Johnny Gray, complete with red font, about the effectiveness of the tether system. After all, that's what this thread is supposed to be about.
Personally, I trust the word of an experienced FC driver over a talking head.
If that's considered NHRA bashing, guilty as charged.

 

[sammi]

NHRA is making me a huge Johnny Gray fan. I think he could hang back in the day.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

I wish Alan would talk to Johnny Gray, complete with red font, about the effectiveness of the tether system. After all, that's what this thread is supposed to be about.
Personally, I trust the word of an experienced FC driver over a talking head.
If that's considered NHRA bashing, guilty as charged.

So true ^^^

 

[troy boy]

What really steams me is the typical NHRA knee-jerk reaction to an incident that happened ONE TIME in what, 45 years of funny car racing? And the way it was presented to fans it was made to sound like it was the drivers' idea and they were all in favor of it, when it turns out that is not the case at all.

Had a body land upside down on us at Pomona one year. No big deal everyone just put there hands up and it went crowd surfing back on the track.

The alcohol cars used to blow the body's off all the time and that is why many of them got the cannon that goes from the rear burst pannel out the side window, to help relieve the pressure.
This is an old problem and why the hood burst pannel was designed years ago. It is obvious one small pannel is not enough and more is needed. You can tell by the fact that when they blow, many times, the force is so much they take the tether with them and head out to space.

 

[funnycarguy]

To me Alan,
I feel like attorneys in the background are "managing" the risk by "doing something". May not be the right action to take. The problem is we keep trying to back the cars down but NHRA allows new cylinder heads, no blower restrictions and 104 gpm fuel pumps on the cars. This makes for huge explosions when a simple pushrod, rocker arm or burned intake valve failure occurs. We have 85% in the tank and it doesn't have the marketing cackle the good old days had. I do understand nitro at the Heritage Series level. I think more % and less everything else maybe the way to go. We need more than 3 mega teams involved.

The bigger question is how to control the shrapnel from these engine explosions in close quarters such as the one last fall in LV. We have lost too many great guys along the way too and OMG if we lost one of the opposite sex. Media relations nightmare. How many bodies flying into the stands versus engine explosions have there been. Thank God Johnny is OK. One of the nicest guys in racing.

And yes Alan, I would love to be on the board of NHRA. Starting off reading the 5 year strategic plan would be interesting to say the least. I'm a board guy and would jump in with both feet.

When a flag starter and some 10 second cars can fill the stands....time to look inwards. I have loved that NHRA logo since I was 5. Very concerned about the longterm health of this industry. I really think we need to rethink the whole value proposition in bringing fans back to the stands.
Thank you
Dale

 

[Speedy_Sticks]

I strongly urge any funny car team who reads this to cut their side windows to how John Force had his '95 Pontiac side window opening. This is one thing that they can help their driver from a tad less concussion. Also how about putting holes in the front grills like how the grills would look in normal road cars, or would thay m make the bodies come off more?

 

[mick]

.......We have 85% in the tank and it doesn't have the marketing cackle the good old days had. I do understand nitro at the Heritage Series level. I think more % and less everything else maybe the way to go. We need more than 3 mega teams involved.........

whether or not NHRA ever goes 'back', you have to admit they do have an
'ace' in their pocket.....there are many facets of the nhra show that are no
longer with us (1320'/long burnouts/95%+ cackle/no throttle stops) that
arguably many fans, including myself, miss dearly.
If the present day formula continues declining attendance & ratings, at least
they can look back and know there was a formula the fans loved.

 

[Marchboom]

Is it me, or has this problem of the bodies flying off the cars become more prevalent since they're now going 320+mph in 1000 feet instead of 1320? IE: the wick is considerably shorter? I recall more (correct me where I'm wrong) explosions occurring closer to the finish line (1320ft) than during the middle of the run, where our most recent ones have occurred.

I have noticed more explosions in the last 2 years than ever before. Wonder if Stat Guy has any info regarding this?

Would be interesting to put a pressure sensor under the body to record how much pressure is present just before the body comes apart.

 

[rckymtn3]

Tasca's problem had nothing to do with the latch/tether. The body was hung up on the injector. I'm not saying I'm in favor of the tether, especially after seeing Johnny Gray's near catastrophe, but let's get our facts straight!

I've mentioned it before, but I figured I would throw a crude drawing to explain my thoughts on bodies catching on all the stuff hanging off the hat. It may well be on some cars, but I always thought something like the boats use to keep the rope from catching on the hat, same could be used for funny cars. There's been a few cases where during backup routines, a crew member lifts the body and it catches the throttle and injuries occur. Something like this helps the bodies clear all the stuff, up, and down.

 

[Silly Savage]

Better yet....I think they need a change in the burst panel configuration on the manifold. They should route a pipe/tube from out the back of the manifold/below the back of the blower, out and down along the chassis aiming down. Imagine something like a header pipe coming out and down on both sides of the back of the motor....according to the pictures above there SHOULD be room.

 

[parrotwhisperer]

Better yet....I think they need a change in the burst panel configuration on the manifold. They should route a pipe/tube from out the back of the manifold/below the back of the blower, out and down along the chassis aiming down. Imagine something like a header pipe coming out and down on both sides of the back of the motor....according to the pictures above there SHOULD be room.

This is easier said than done. We tried to "direct the bast" on a TF car several ways with what we thought were strong billet parts and the result was the burst panel absolutely nuked the puke tank and various other parts. Anything in it's way was history. I think others have tried it as well with similar results.

 

[TooTall999]

I've mentioned it before, but I figured I would throw a crude drawing to explain my thoughts on bodies catching on all the stuff hanging off the hat. It may well be on some cars, but I always thought something like the boats use to keep the rope from catching on the hat, same could be used for funny cars. There's been a few cases where during backup routines, a crew member lifts the body and it catches the throttle and injuries occur. Something like this helps the bodies clear all the stuff, up, and down.

I think in Tasca's case, it knocked the blower off, and it was sitting at an angle which caused the body to hang up on the hat. I saw first hand what happens when the body catches on the throttle linkage. I was at Indy in 2005 when T-Ped had his incident and Dickie Venables had his pants blown off. Scary stuff.

 

[PJ]

Not that having the conversation is bad just an observation

With all the different opinions of us "keyboard crewchiefs" imagine when the experts are in a room debating this. How does the NHRA decide which ones to listen too? Which idea will work better? How much testing is enough? How quickly do they need to act to appease insurance carriers? and so on

 

[rckymtn3]

Not that having the conversation is bad just an observation

With all the different opinions of us "keyboard crewchiefs" imagine when the experts are in a room debating this. How does the NHRA decide which ones to listen too? Which idea will work better? How much testing is enough? How quickly do they need to act to appease insurance carriers? and so on

Quick answer? Like any other board solves issues. The cheapest way. If it's cheaper to take a lump on the chin and pay out a law suit, they roll ahead. If it's cheaper to slap something together to minimize legal exposure, that's what's done.

I think that's the point. It's window dressing to appease insurance concerns. My whole point in my tongue and cheek comments was meant to poke fun at the NHRA, who right up until the very moment a body shifted a few feet to the left, had highlighted the fact that bodies would be launched clear into the sky. Many many photos released over the years touting this phenomenon, often accompanied by sensational headlines, descriptions of "100FT in the AIR!!" NHRA happily sold it as part of the possible spectacle you might witness if you buy a ticket.

Never once did anyone say "hey, that's sort of dangerous, we should look into reigning that in". Nope. They just exploited it, right up until insurance concerns (we all know that's what it is) were raised. They hadn't acted responsibly. They hadn't acted like a board that wanted to grow the sport in the best, safest way. They had a lot of time to put some money, time, and resources to tackling a few problems. They didn't. They played golf. We all feel it. I put almost zero weight into any NHRA employee telling me otherwise.

 

[Mooseman]

How are drag racing parts going in the stands any worse then golf balls or baseballs going in the stands.

At those sports its is considered normal and people even try to catch the ball. Yet in drag racing it is a huge safety risk.

 

[Leebone]

NHRA is making me a huge Johnny Gray fan. I think he could hang back in the day.

You and me both. I hope he wins the championship. He's a put up or shut up, no BS kind of guy. He also has the talent to prove it. You GO Johnny!!

 

[JB3]

How are drag racing parts going in the stands any worse then golf balls or baseballs going in the stands.

At those sports its is considered normal and people even try to catch the ball. Yet in drag racing it is a huge safety risk.

Exactly. Heard a story last week about a young boy at an English soccer game ... player kicked the ball and it rocketed into the stands and broke the kid's nose. If it was our kid would we be upset, certainly. But s**t does happen.

Family stayed at the game, went to hospital afterward. No lawsuits, No finger pointing, just fans accepting the assumed risks.

 

[PJ]

I think there is some difference between a couple pound ball coming into the stands vs a hunk of metal spun off of a car at 300mph.


I was in the stands at Indy was Wiess launced a motor in the water box, shrapnel hit people right behind us.


I suppose if you want to take that argument furhter, baseball has nets up behind home plate at every park and the NHL has had to put nets up to cover the hot zones. Since the entire track is a blast zone, are nets needed? (I say no)

 

[PJ]

Quick answer? Like any other board solves issues. The cheapest way. If it's cheaper to take a lump on the chin and pay out a law suit, they roll ahead. If it's cheaper to slap something together to minimize legal exposure, that's what's done.

I think that's the point. It's window dressing to appease insurance concerns. My whole point in my tongue and cheek comments was meant to poke fun at the NHRA, who right up until the very moment a body shifted a few feet to the left, had highlighted the fact that bodies would be launched clear into the sky. Many many photos released over the years touting this phenomenon, often accompanied by sensational headlines, descriptions of "100FT in the AIR!!" NHRA happily sold it as part of the possible spectacle you might witness if you buy a ticket.

Never once did anyone say "hey, that's sort of dangerous, we should look into reigning that in". Nope. They just exploited it, right up until insurance concerns (we all know that's what it is) were raised. They hadn't acted responsibly. They hadn't acted like a board that wanted to grow the sport in the best, safest way. They had a lot of time to put some money, time, and resources to tackling a few problems. They didn't. They played golf. We all feel it. I put almost zero weight into any NHRA employee telling me otherwise.

I don't doubt that insurance and liability plays a huge roll in this. I was just pointing out the difficulty in figuring out what to do. I like the surf board tie idea, only with a break-away point. It holds to keep it from going airborne but at a certain force breaks away. That way the body doesn't become a sliding mass to wack the car/driver as they try to stop. The tie would hold the force from launching it sky high and bring it down quicker and hopefully safer.

I also get annoyed at the exploiting the negative. When the Norwalk event was coming to town they advertised in the Detroit market. I was bummed to see the commercial where no car made a clean pass, everything was a wreck or fire bomb. They were not selling racing, they were selling the chance of catastrophe.