Nitromater
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No shoulder harnesses for Hillary?
- Thread starter cstarns
- Start date
The Counterfeiter
Nitro Member
Without more information, it's impossible to say what happened. It was frightening seeing her come up out of the seat.
It looks similar to what happens to drag boat drivers coming tumbling forward when they lose power. Malfunction or not, I bet Conrad is not happy right about now. I'm sure that they will find the problem and it won't happen again.
The most important thing is that she is OK. Thank god.
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Jenn
Nitro Member
Yep, that was when Tony had the latch type locks rather than the cam lock. Something caught the lever and pulled it up unhooking the belts. Cam locks can unhook too, and you can twist the cam lock sometimes to get only the belts you want to unhook without losing all the belts. I'm not sure what she's using but I'm sure glad she was able to brace herself.
Sean D, shondoo
Nitro Member
She "agreed" with GG's assessment of the belts coming loose, but when the camera panned on her as she was heading back to the pits, she had a smile on her face and made the gesture towards her head with her hand like a gun. Something tells me they didn't get cinched-up after being latched, or they didn't get latched at all.
Either way, damn glad it didn't turn ugly.
Sean D
Either way, damn glad it didn't turn ugly.
Sean D
HEMI6point1
Nitro Member
How the H*ll do you not strap a driver in right? Whoever strapped her in needs to be fired! 
The Counterfeiter
Nitro Member
How the H*ll do you not strap a driver in right? Whoever strapped her in needs to be fired!
Samuel - do you know something the rest of us don't? If not, I would suggest that EVERYONE stop speculating and wait for some factual information.
There are a lot of Kalitta fans here, and I'm sure they are upset enough without people who have no facts suggesting something like this.
HEMI6point1
Nitro Member
A crew member straps the driver in, right? Well apparently he didn't do his job correctly.
The Counterfeiter
Nitro Member
Wow thats pretty amazing. I can imagine a scenario where that would happen but I maybe better not type it.
But to prevent the scenario I have not typed and could happen only in theory. You could instruct the driver to not pull the shoulder belts down onto their lap in anticipation of a crew member latching them and cinching them up tight. That way the crew would see the shoulder belts draped over the main hoop and not assume they were latched and cinched.
But to prevent the scenario I have not typed and could happen only in theory. You could instruct the driver to not pull the shoulder belts down onto their lap in anticipation of a crew member latching them and cinching them up tight. That way the crew would see the shoulder belts draped over the main hoop and not assume they were latched and cinched.
Jenn
Nitro Member
My drivers pull theirs down and then when I do my final check, I check the neck collar and the belts.
Most of the crew members and drivers live by the "Same thing every time" rule, but sometimes something happens like an oil down where the driver gets out after you cinch her down and then your routine gets disrupted.
Kind of like when you turn your headlights on when you are driving in the early morning hours and then when it gets light you forget you had them on so you don't turn them on. Or you turn then off because you think it might be light enough but you second guess and then turn them back on, and then you leave them on.
You can swear up and down that it's not acceptable, and it's not really, but it happens to the best and Hillary's crew ranks up there as the best.
Sean D, shondoo
Nitro Member
You're right, Jim, we shouldn't speculate. But I would venture to say that if the latch mechanism failed in any way, that would've been the first thing out of Hillary's mouth when GG shoved the mic in her face. Since that didn't happen, it's a pretty safe bet that whoever is responsible for the latching and/or cinching of the belts, whether that's Hillary herself or a member of the crew, didn't git-er-done.
I'm fortunate enough to have someone that belts me in for every lap, but at the end of the day, it's my a$$ on the line, so I see it as my responsibility to make sure it's handled.
Sean D
MM
Nitro Member
I've belted my dad, brother, and multiple friends into funny cars and you don't just forget the shoulder harnesses....and the event that is what happened, if hillary didnt shout at the top of her lungs HEY JACKASS YOU FORGOT SOMETHING!!! then shame on her....something had to have happened to cause that.
heheh
I can't imagine anyone shouting that in a Kalitta pit, Connie? Yes. Not so much Hillary.
TF CREW
Nitro Member
How the H*ll do you not strap a driver in right? Whoever strapped her in needs to be fired!
Dude you need to chill till there is more info
Quote
Bellemeur bounces back from scary ride
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sean Bellemeur, new driver of the Renegade Racing TAFC, had a scary ride during the second qualifier in Edmonton. Somehow, his belts released when the chutes hit, throwing him into the steering wheel pretty hard.
First off, I'm glad to hear you're ok, second off, just a tip of the hat for getting back in the car, I know you had to be pretty sore.
__________________
Quote Sean Bellemeur
Before I go into the nuts and bolts of what happened I wanted to say this...
The belts in the Renegade Racing/Synoil TAFC are built by Dennis Taylor who is a manufacturer, competitor and friend. I FULLY trust any part that he makes to keeps the drivers safe, and he proves his work by trusting his own life with his equipment in his funny car. That being said, Dennis has been in contact with me a lot about what could have happened and things to look for to prevent a potential problem in the future. I also want to say that I fully trust the equipment in the car that I drive, and I know that my team owner Geoff Goodwin put me in the car the same way that he has done hundreds of times for his drivers. I don't want to speculate on anything until Dennis has looked at the locking mechanism and belts himself, and we are working together to come up with an answer. I used the same belts and locking mechanism again the very next run just a couple hours later and the belts did their job as they are supposed to. This is the first time in my 9 year driving career that anything like this has happened, and I really appreciate Dennis' concern and the help that everyone at Taylor Motorsports Products has given to ensure that this never happens to myself or any other driver out there.
As Russ said, because of my background with working safety, and SFI, I take every precaution availible to keep us safe, and I completely trust Dennis and his equipment. I would never think twice about putting ANY of his equipment on a car that I drive.
I thank everyone for their concern. Race safe everyone!
At the Gators this year, one of the Nitro cars came to the line and after startup they rolled forward then shut it off. Someone had fogot to put oil in it. Later that day, a crew chief from another team told me that the person responsible for that would be looking for another job. Sometimes things happen. Next time you go a race bring good binoculars, and watch closely the crew and the crew chief do their thing at the starting line. They have it down pat. Everyone has a job and does the same thing every time. It would be a surprise that the person who did the belt check missed it. Unless it was someone new, or something else caused a change in the procedure.
As a driver, I must say that I cannot imagine Hillary would leave the line without the shoulder harnesses tightened. The belts are one of the most crucial factors in making a driver feel safe and comfortable when on the line. Many drivers, including myself, subscribe to the mantra "the tighter, the better" when it comes to safety harnesses. I would just feel "wrong" if I was on the line without being tightly strapped in.
Also, as a female driver, it's important to know that the shoulder straps are the most uncomfortable part of the harnesses. There is no way she wouldn't have noticed their absence. In my dragster, I know that I have to leave my right harness slightly looser than the left so that I can lean forward to reach the gears. Any driver would say something, or even shut off if their harnesses were not tightened. Especially one that just watch her mentor die doing exactly what she was doing. I'm sure it was a malfunction.
Also, as a female driver, it's important to know that the shoulder straps are the most uncomfortable part of the harnesses. There is no way she wouldn't have noticed their absence. In my dragster, I know that I have to leave my right harness slightly looser than the left so that I can lean forward to reach the gears. Any driver would say something, or even shut off if their harnesses were not tightened. Especially one that just watch her mentor die doing exactly what she was doing. I'm sure it was a malfunction.
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force fan
Nitro Member
Same ? can be asked of you!!!!! This is supposed to be a message board where people can post their opinions and I hate it when someone jumps on someone else for what they post. I have held back on posting on here several times just for that reason. CHILL OUT!!!!!!!
