Nhra Releases Findings (1 Viewer)

[Rexfiles]

I'm sorry - your post is BS. Short shutdown, short sandtrap, inefective net, posts, walls, camera platform all in the way of an out of control car. Hopefully, NHRA can start with the worst case scenario (which this was) and provide a safe track. If not, drivers need to refuse to race.

You nailed it Jim, the answer is D, all of the above.

Ditto's

REX

 

[TJ]

I was @ the track today and the only difference w/ the top end was the location of the boom-lift....and a little shuffling of other extras but no major change.

I was in the DSR camp all day and there was not any mention of the accident...a tradegy...but it was an accident.

BB from Gilbys camp has photos of the car has it entered the sand and after and Scotts hand is tugging on the brake before the net--

 

[Triple Nickel II]

BB from Gilbys camp has photos of the car has it entered the sand and after and Scotts hand is tugging on the brake before the net--

I hope copies of that photo have been provided to both NHRA's hired investigator as well as the NJ State police.

 

[TAFC 5 81]

Yes, they will erect the barrier if their is a malfunction with the tailhook and and closest feet dry strip is out of range. The Net has caught more than a few 14's, 18's, the old A-6...

d'kid

Karl is correct. An F-14 w/o ordnance and w/ minimal fuel would have been ~40,000lbs hitting the net at over 120 m.p.h.

 

[DG]

For all of the "longer shutdown area" supporters:

How many National Event tracks can ACTUALLY significantly extend the shutdown without huge expense or many years delay getting property purchased, if necessary, and construction and environment permits issued [Cut down the trees behind the wall?]?

Usually the area behind the sand is someone else's property, a road, etc.

Take Pomona, for example: do you close the road and buy the golf course?

Some tracks like Las Vegas would not be a problem, of course.

I have been racing since 1960 and honestly believe that there is nothing "Magic" about 1320 feet! Tradition vs. Lives... Hmmmm, why is this even a question?

 

[shane]

BB from Gilbys camp has photos of the car has it entered the sand and after and Scotts hand is tugging on the brake before the net--

You positive about this statement?

I just had the opportunity to view a photo sequence from a professional photographer who shot Scott's crash from the roof of the finish line tower at Englishtown. 16 images that show just how severe the fire and impact were
BB

Thats the way I heard it from BB

 

[Toejam]

that's cause a concrete wall was never hit. pole, tv boom, and woods thats it.

not sure where your getting the other info from but its not correct.

Jerrod, you obviously know more about the details of this crash then most of us. But I've studied the pic of the shutdown as well as frame by frame of Scott's crash, and I can't even see the pole everyone speaks of. Only that the car hits the sand, does a summersaw and you see Flames which indicates impact with the TV Boom.

 

[Jenn]

There are some members of this board who have close, personal relationships with the Kalitta family and I'm honestly surprised some of you haven't considered them, our friends, in your speculation.

 

[d'kid]

There are some members of this board who have close, personal relationships with the Kalitta family and I'm honestly surprised some of you haven't considered them, our friends, in your speculation.

Jenn,
Agree 100%.

This is turning into a grassy knoll, Warren Report debate. Has it brought up issues that do need addressed, YES.

Do we need publicly tick by tick details of the last ten seconds of Scott's life? No we, as the general public do not.

d'kid

 

[Mikey]

I'm sorry - your post is BS. Short shutdown, short sandtrap, inefective net, posts, walls, camera platform all in the way of an out of control car. Hopefully, NHRA can start with the worst case scenario (which this was) and provide a safe track. If not, drivers need to refuse to race.

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

 

[Gordon]

I think two different eras are being confused. The Navy used catch nets before they started building carriers with angled decks. The fences prevented a landing plane from hitting planes and crew forward of the landing area. When they started building the angled decks the landing procedures changed. A landing plane goes to full military power when it hits the deck so that it can get back into the air if it misses the wire(s). The fences they used to have never had to stop an F/A18 or any of the more recent fighters at the speeds that they are now landing.

As a die hard fan of the sport of drag racing, I absolutely refuse to speculate as to "what happened" or "why." I know the end result, and my heart goes out to the entire drag racing world - drivers, crew, spectators, etc... but especially the Kalitta camp & family.

That said, having been a Navy Air Traffic Controller for the last 24 years of my life and having served on every aircraft carrier on the west coast, I feel qualified to comment on this post. Our AB's (Aviation Boatswain's Mates) practice rigging the barricade (catch net) more times than I care to count - both during the day and at night. Why? Because it works, that's why. I personally controlled an F/A-18 with catastrophic engine damage to both engines and we safely caught him, at night, with the aforementioned barricade. In fact, it's such an effective means of catching an aircraft that the very same pilot flew the exact same jet off the pointy end for it's post incident functional check flight less than a month later!

Will it work at a drag strip? That's not for me to say.

Rest in peace, Scott, you are missed...

 

[Toejam]

Jenn,
Agree 100%.

This is turning into a grassy knoll, Warren Report debate. Has it brought up issues that do need addressed, YES.

Do we need publicly tick by tick details of the last ten seconds of Scott's life? No we, as the general public do not.

d'kid

Damn Karl you almost made me spit up on my Monitor! Sorry but that was funny, it just seems the real reasons for this tragedy are ignored by the Powers at be. Bob Vandergriff's been the only racer who's told it like it is.

 

[Nitrohaulic]

I'll still stick to my idea of adding electronic sensors at the finish line to automatically deploy the chutes and cut-off the fuel to the many other things that are bound to be implemented as a result of this.

Sean D

Close the throttle, maybe. I don't think you want the fuel cut off on a nitro car if the blades could still be open.

 

[Nitrohaulic]

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

With that logic and attitude, every safety feature in and around every class of car may as well be tossed out.

 

[Toejam]

Close the throttle, maybe. I don't think you want the fuel cut off on a nitro car if the blades could still be open.

Can you Spell BOOM????

 

[Marchboom]

In respect to the Kalitta family, IMO, we should all keep our opinions as to what occurred to ourselves and wait till the police investigation is complete.

But in the meantime, as racers and fans, we should be thinking about how to prevent accidents before they happen. We know that these cars cover a lot of real estate quickly and driver decisions have to be made even quicker. If we can come up with a better idea to make this sport safer, then we should submit it to someone who could possibly act on it. There is a lot of talent on this board, in many different fields. We should put it to use to make this sport safer. You don't have to be a nitro racer or car owner to come up with a good idea.

 

[Bobby]

There are some members of this board who have close, personal relationships with the Kalitta family and I'm honestly surprised some of you haven't considered them, our friends, in your speculation.

All due respect Jenn but anyone that might be upset by what is said in a thread like this would be smart not to read it.

It's all about money and the only way this will get fixed is if the NHRA is afraid of chasing away fans and sponsors. There's no excuse for 3 deaths of pro nitro drivers in 4 years. Not in this century. Nascar is safer. IRL is safer.
F1 is light years ahead of everyone in terms of safety.

I'm sorry but we want answers. We want to know what happened, not for any prurient reason, but because we want to know that the solutions put forth are the real solutions. You can't hide in this youtube world of ours, and it's better to just tell the truth. NHRA still hasn't figured that out.

 

[kingcobrafan]

I'm glad everyone is pleased with the NHRA statment but I work with politicians on a daily basis and and I think this statment would bring tears of envy to any politician worth their salt. What a bunch of BS. Sorry I'm so cynical but I've seen this type of statment many times in the past and it usually means very little

For a statement that was supposed to just release NHRA's findings, they seemed to bend over backwards to make sure all of us knew about their safety record and how tragic the accident was. Something we were all well aware of without Glendora stuffing it down our throat.

 

[Nitrohaulic]

For a statement that was supposed to just release NHRA's findings, they seemed to bend over backwards to make sure all of us knew about their safety record and how tragic the accident was. Something we were all well aware of without Glendora stuffing it down our throat.

I'd echo the good words that Bobby Miller said earlier in the thread about them. There's obviously always going to be plenty to complain about pertaining to that organization. I don't like to assume the worst in anyone with nothing to base it on and I don't think this should be treated any differently. People keep sounding like they're completely heartless.

Like has already been said, it's hard for them to hold specific parts of cars to absolute standards and then turn around to a track and say "Oh? You have something that's called a shutdown area? Great!"

 

[Jenn]

All due respect Jenn but anyone that might be upset by what is said in a thread like this would be smart not to read it.

It's all about money and the only way this will get fixed is if the NHRA is afraid of chasing away fans and sponsors. There's no excuse for 3 deaths of pro nitro drivers in 4 years. Not in this century. Nascar is safer. IRL is safer.
F1 is light years ahead of everyone in terms of safety.

I'm sorry but we want answers. We want to know what happened, not for any prurient reason, but because we want to know that the solutions put forth are the real solutions. You can't hide in this youtube world of ours, and it's better to just tell the truth. NHRA still hasn't figured that out.

They are already dealing with the weight of grief, why should they have to tip-toe around threads?

I'm all for answers as well, at any given national event I have anywhere from 2 to 5 cars entered, and seeing that they are my family, safety is a huge priority for me. I also think that the people who know and will do something about the findings have more information that they are actually going to use do something about other than rehash it.

My brother raced against a guy who had an accident and died from his injuries, we were friends of the family. The weeks that followed were painful enough for the family, and people who had the balls to walk up to the family and tell them "This is what really happened" were just added grief and heartache.