Nhra Releases Findings

[Bobby]

Dennis, it wasn't the wing strut that resulted in Darrell's death.

Well that's the conventional wisdom on the issue, thanks to the reaction - the sheilding around the cage.

What do you know that we don't.

 

[PJ]

someone mentioned why we should or shouldn't allow all the talk of this and how to fix it go on.

There are some good and some bad ideas, some crazy and some just plain dumb. In the end I view everyone having their chance to say something about it as a means to heal. Talking about it and trying to fix something gives many a path through the shock and grief.

 

[None]

You positive about this statement?



Thats the way I heard it from BB

A proven unreliable source.

 

[TJ]

BB has more contacts and friends in fuel racing than 90% of the current teams. His statements are straight up and the truth. He can get w/d prices on every component involving nitro racing w/out having a 'buy-in' contract.
I do not know anyone in the industry that has as much 'juice' as BB..
He was one of the few that ripped into Knoll, to his face, @ a race when the checks bounced for his racing friends and has moxie...Which VERY few people in life have..
Every year he turns down teams for PR work and Gilby keeps him to himself.

Whenever I need to hear the truth---we call Bob!

 

[Bullet]

Well that's the conventional wisdom on the issue, thanks to the reaction - the sheilding around the cage.

What do you know that we don't.

Initially that is what I had heard resulted in Darrell's injury.

I had the opportunity to talk to Rob Geiger at the second Las Vegas race last year while having him sign a couple of copies of his Darrell Russell book. I was privileged enough to have a lengthy discussion about Darrell with Rob and we discussed many things including friendship, their families as well as that fateful day in St Louis.

I told Rob all of the theories that I had heard and asked him what was and wasn't true. Rob was very candid and answered any question I had. I didn't stick my nose in too deeply and tried to tread carefully as Rob and Darrell were so close, beside it's not my place to do so.

I don't mean to come across as one of the "from a good source" people that appear dime a dozen on here, but I don't feel it is my position to say what critically injured Darrell, but I would like to clarrify anything that I know isn't true, hence me stating that it wasn't the wing strut.

 

[SAS]

Initially that is what I had heard resulted in Darrell's injury.

I had the opportunity to talk to Rob Geiger at the second Las Vegas race last year while having him sign a couple of copies of his Darrell Russell book. I was privileged enough to have a lengthy discussion about Darrell with Rob and we discussed many things including friendship, their families as well as that fateful day in St Louis.

I told Rob all of the theories that I had heard and asked him what was and wasn't true. Rob was very candid and answered any question I had. I didn't stick my nose in too deeply and tried to tread carefully as Rob and Darrell were so close, beside it's not my place to do so.

I don't mean to come across as one of the "from a good source" people that appear dime a dozen on here, but I don't feel it is my position to say what critically injured Darrell, but I would like to clarrify anything that I know isn't true, hence me stating that it wasn't the wing strut.

You hear things that sound possible, and you belive it. Tire failure, that damaged the wing, collapsing the strut. Something hit his helmet. Or so it was reported.
And when the rush was on to put shielding on the roll cage, it caused a change in the flow of air into the motor. That caused some tuneups to be a bit off.

 

[Joker]

Just think, if NHRA would ever release that report then everybody would be on the same page.

 

[None]

BB has more contacts and friends in fuel racing than 90% of the current teams. His statements are straight up and the truth. He can get w/d prices on every component involving nitro racing w/out having a 'buy-in' contract.
I do not know anyone in the industry that has as much 'juice' as BB..
He was one of the few that ripped into Knoll, to his face, @ a race when the checks bounced for his racing friends and has moxie...Which VERY few people in life have..
Every year he turns down teams for PR work and Gilby keeps him to himself.

Whenever I need to hear the truth---we call Bob!

That must be some really good stuff you are smoking.

 

[HEMI6point1]

You hear things that sound possible, and you belive it. Tire failure, that damaged the wing, collapsing the strut. Something hit his helmet. Or so it was reported.
And when the rush was on to put shielding on the roll cage, it caused a change in the flow of air into the motor. That caused some tuneups to be a bit off.

I was one of the people that had the same thought about the wing strut but a while ago Darrell's brother PM'ed me and said it wasn't the strut, it was a chunk of tire that entered the cockpit.

Which makes me angry because that year, racers and crew chiefs were complaining as far into the year at Topeka that the sidewalls of the mandated tire were peeling off at the top end and was a huge concern. They should have change the tire then, if that was the case Darrell would still be with us.

 

[Andy]

That must be some really good stuff you are smoking.

Right. I want some. LOL

 

[Von Halen]

hahaha i love how some people think you can fix everything. Here is how we fix it, have no end to the track just let the drivers coast for like a mile after the finish line; that way you would never have this problem again. I say we figure out a way to get cars to run on water that way they would never explode in a huge fire ball. You people floor me, its effin drag racing not knitting, stuff is going to go wrong no matter how "safe" you think it is

I kind of agree with Mike.

You just can't fix everything that can go wrong. Yes, things can be done to make the cars and surroundings safer. But there will NEVER be a guarantee that tragedy won't happen. Especially when there isn't one definite thing that was the cause. Sometimes in these instances, one thing goes wrong, and then it snowballs into other things. Then it becomes a tragedy.

I would love to think they could make racing a sport that would never take a life. But that isn't very realistic.

Sometimes even the most blatantly obvious issues, aren't issues until somebody is seriously injured, or killed. I've never been to Englishtown, but I'd venture to guess that place was setup just like it was for years. Am I wrong? How many runs went down that track before this happened? How many could go down it again, before the incident repeated itself? Yes, that situation now looks like it was an obvious safety hazzard. But it never looked like that before.

Mike is right. You can't fix everything. But you can fix what becomes obvious, and you can keep trying to improve safety. Never get complacent.

 

[jpee]

I'd like to pose a question here, I doubt anyone can give an "exact" answer, but give me an "idea" of all the Fatal Accidents the have happened on a drag strip in say the last 10 years, what percent of them occurred "PAST THE SAND TRAP" or even Past The Finish Line"

My "GUESS" most fatalities occurred BEFORE the sand traps...

 

[Bobby]

I went to every event at Epping back then, and have photos of Jungle Jim racing Kosty. I also saw the "Jade Grenade" crash there, I think the driver
died. And I recall it hit the gaurd rail, at the top end.

well it only took me how many years to know the answer to that - no the driver did not die in fact i'm friends with him on facebook . he did lose a leg. but he lived .

 

[DrRocket]

Holy ancient thread resurrection batman!

 

[willy]

Gotta be a record.

 

[.]

Just think, if NHRA would ever release that report then everybody would be on the same page.

Yeah, still waiting on that report that Dim Light said would be released "in 60 days."

 

[cantdrive55]

Must've been a slow day?


..............60 days, 60 years what's the difference?

 

[mopain]

Grew up on the same street as the driver, Don Roberts. When asked about the crash he said "after the third flip, I lost control!"

 

[TF CREW]

hahaha i love how some people think you can fix everything. Here is how we fix it, have no end to the track just let the drivers coast for like a mile after the finish line; that way you would never have this problem again. I say we figure out a way to get cars to run on water that way they would never explode in a huge fire ball. You people floor me, its effin drag racing not knitting, stuff is going to go wrong no matter how "safe" you think it is

Obviously you have never seen a Top Fuel Hydro