Live vs On Time

[my friends call me Zappy]

You need to dig a little deeper into what caused Eric's injuries....the wall is down the list a little....

My understanding was that the impact with the wall was a major factor.........

 

[PJ]

Everyone who is thinking like Virgil that "drag racing is dying" needs to spend a few days at Norwalk with Bill Bader and his team. I've just spent all week here doing a timing system upgrade and the place, the Norwalk team, and the crowds are amazing. Just stunning. The place is modern, gorgeous, spotless, and runs like a Swiss watch. I was in awe the whole time.

We had to bust hump to get the timing system rebuilt in 2-1/2 days in time for their Wed night crowd. I thought, "oh, well, we'll get it working, but really how much will it matter?" They had 600 cars. For a Wed night "family fun night" (aka test and tune). The place was filled with cars, families, hangers-on, and so on. It was amazing. The Seattle national event doesn't have 600 cars.

And it's making money. The place is on the upswing, not the decline.

The problem with drag racing is not drag racing. It's the folks running the tracks, the teams, etc. They just don't get it. The Baders do. This summed it up for me:

So true, I love Norwalk. If that whole team were running things it would be great....heck maybe not just DR maybe Bader for President

 

[Dave]

My understanding was that the impact with the wall was a major factor.........

A tire came apart and shook the chassis so hard that his head slapped back and forth in the roll cage like a paint shaker.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

A tire came apart and shook the chassis so hard that his head slapped back and forth in the roll cage like a paint shaker.

I remember hearing about the head, roll cage part, but thought it was the result of the chassis slapping the wall hard, not tire failure.

 

[the zone]

the only time is was good live was when they ran the show with rounds 1 through 3 taped and then they ran the finals live. I thought that deal worked pretty good. ( and they showed the TA finals on a number of occasions as well.)


Dean

 

[rckymtn3]

Just the opposite sir, the farther away the wall, the LESS the impact. Once the cars leaves the track the driver is no longet gaining speed, he/she is slowing. In many casses there would be no impack to the wall. No damage to the race car, no harm to the driver.

Another benifit, less down time. With blown engines, the driver, (when safe) can pull on to the grass, dumping the oil on the grass, not the track.

I am assuming the off track area would be paved as it's just plain safer that way, (not prettier I admit) we've all seen a car dig into soil once off track and that is gut-wrenching, let-alone giving up all hopes of gaining control back. The assumption that it's asphalt gives the car more time to rotate and hit the wall at closer to 90degrees (more than normal anyway). That's what I meant by a harder smack. Let's face it, wall, no wall, these things are going where they want to unless funneled into a direction, and a narrower funnel is better IMO. Now all I have to do is own and design a track, and I will know what I'm talking about

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

I was thinking grass, 2 resons. 1) less cost. 2) more absorbant for rain and oil downs. But if you want asphalt, ok.

Let me know when you open your track, I'll buy the FIRST ticket.

 

[G'ginna]

I was thinking grass, 2 resons. 1) less cost. 2) more absorbant for rain and oil downs. But if you want asphalt, ok.

Let me know when you open your track, I'll buy the FIRST ticket.

Grass is a cool idea, but in riding horses, one of my worse falls was in wet grass, slippery as heck and my horses legs became spaghetti we both went down. If a car was slightly sideways, would it start spinning or roll?

 

[clwill]

Grass is a silly idea. Slippery as heck, soaks up rain, gets muddy, ugh. Then add in all the environmental concerns and it's just crazy.

There's nothing wrong with the walls where they are. Maybe they should be SAFER barriers, but their placement isn't wrong.

The only good point in this thread is about the photographers. At the very least ladders should be out, you don't see them on the sidelines of any ball sports. If they want that angle, do like they do and get a monster lens and shoot from perches in the stands.

 

[Treeshaker]

So true, I love Norwalk. If that whole team were running things it would be great....heck maybe not just DR maybe Bader for President

Bill was the leader of IHRA a few years ago. He couldn't get the other track owners to understand the principle of investing in themselves, like Norwalk does. The result is that Norwalk changed to NHRA sanctioning.

The walls are where they are for driver safety. The closer they are the less angle the car will hit and the lesser the severity of the results of the accident. The most damaging accidents are when the car comes from the opposite lane and hits the wall, usually head on. The same as if you moved the walls back away from the racing surface. If a wall was put down the middle of the track, the severity of these types of accidents would be much less.

The higher walls keeps the cars from going over and entering spectator areas.

The current track layouts have been configured based upon lessons learned in the past. You will even notice fewer photographers given credentials at the meets today.

 

[PJ]

Bill was the leader of IHRA a few years ago. He couldn't get the other track owners to understand the principle of investing in themselves, like Norwalk does. The result is that Norwalk changed to NHRA sanctioning.

The walls are where they are for driver safety. The closer they are the less angle the car will hit and the lesser the severity of the results of the accident. The most damaging accidents are when the car comes from the opposite lane and hits the wall, usually head on. The same as if you moved the walls back away from the racing surface. If a wall was put down the middle of the track, the severity of these types of accidents would be much less.

The higher walls keeps the cars from going over and entering spectator areas.

The current track layouts have been configured based upon lessons learned in the past. You will even notice fewer photographers given credentials at the meets today.

The wall movement and grass is my dad's crazy, insane idea not mine


I remember Bader running IHRA, I hope NHRA tracks owners have a little deeper pockets and with 2 owners (nhra and Smith) owning many of the tracks there are less people to make motivate in the right direction. His sucess seems like a great road map for other places to follow.

 

[mick]

.......If a wall was put down the middle of the track, the severity of these types of accidents would be much less......

hmmmm, mentioned this a few times in years past and was continually shot
down......mentioned it for the same reasons; less distance and angle to impact......let's see if those same pundits chime in

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

Grass is a cool idea, but in riding horses, one of my worse falls was in wet grass, slippery as heck and my horses legs became spaghetti we both went down. If a car was slightly sideways, would it start spinning or roll?

By far most of the time a car will slide on grass, to a safe stop, it's on pavement that they roll over. Just watch nascar.

 

[Dave]

By far most of the time a car will slide on grass, to a safe stop, it's on pavement that they roll over. Just watch nascar.

Really really really hate to debunk your theories, but you're not correct. The cars have a tendency to "dig in" and roll in grass. Also there is a lot less friction created between the tires sliding across grass than pavement so they do not slow as fast. Thirdly, they usually were more prone to lifting off due to the air getting under the car easier because of the lowered friction and downforce they have sliding across the grass. If you watch NASCAR at all you will see that most areas on the backstretches of Michigan, California, Daytona, Talladega, etc are paved over now due to that very reason. Including the turn 4 and turn 1 infield of Daytona and Talladega which are the two fastest. Also if you watch F1 most of the run off areas are paved or pea gravel. It's getting very rare to find grass at a racetrack and that is in the name of safety.

 

[Dave]

hmmmm, mentioned this a few times in years past and was continually shot
down......mentioned it for the same reasons; less distance and angle to impact......let's see if those same pundits chime in

I think it is mostly due to the fuel cars (nitro and alky) getting out of shape smoking the tires and just skimming or sliding over the line. If there was a wall there you would have many many more torn up racecars each weekend versus a few murdered timing reflectors.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

I think it is mostly due to the fuel cars (nitro and alky) getting out of shape smoking the tires and just skimming or sliding over the line. If there was a wall there you would have many many more torn up racecars each weekend versus a few murdered timing reflectors.

Thanks, You just made my point, move the walls.

 

[Larry jr.]

I thought this thread was about live the drag race that aired last week, now its about walls?

What happend?

 

[G'ginna]

Hijack?

 

[PJ]

Hijack?

So what about Skuza?....oh wait I'm supposed to behave and not hijack, my bad

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

The wall movement and grass is my dad's crazy, insane idea not mine QUOTE]

Crazy you say?? insane even?? This is not speculation of what may work.
I know it works.
At the risk of sounding old. I've been there-done that. I saw many cars leave the track, not one rolled, (on grass) and not one made it to the spectators.