From: Martin Thomas [mailto:
[email protected]]
Sent: Saturday, March 24, 2007 12:55 AM
To:
[email protected]
Cc:
[email protected]
Subject: Drag Racing Barriers
Terry... I am hoping that you are not one of those blowhard sports writers that sees an opportunity for a by-line and spews off on subjects that they know little about.
In response to the Blitz that you wrote regarding the concrete baracades used by the NHRA to control an errant 300+mph dragster (NOT a full framed/bodied NASCAR vehicle), you stated that
"Had the collapsible barrier been in place, the G-force load at impact would have been significantly reduced.
This barrier makes a major difference. David Reutimann suffered only a bruised foot after a violent head-on crash into the barrier at California Speedway in a Nextel Cup race last month."
What proof do you have that a collapsible barrier system makes for a safer barrier regarding drag racing and its primarially STRAIGHT path of action, including most of its on-track incidents? It is a rare occurance that a drag racing vehicle will be so out of shape (unlike most other types of racing) that it will T-Bone the barrier (like you described for the David Reutimann incident). Many of the on-track accidents in drag racing are glancing blows that cause the car to careen like a pinball in an alley. Solid walls allow those cars to scrub off speed and come to rest usually still within the racing surface. Soft, collapsible barriers would have more tendancy to catch or "snag" a spindly framed car dedicated to being lightweight and mostly built out of tubing that is designed to protect the driver, causing the car to rapidly decelerate and change direction, and potentially throw the driver's cockpit into the other lane, putting both racers in danger of having to avoid the other vehicle. Please refer to most of the accidents in drag racing to note that the cars hitting the walls usually continue in their own lane, going straight- it is a rare occurance that a car will run head-on into a guardrail, defeating the focus of your article.
I assume that you have seen the photos of Eric Medlen's fatal accident, and you may have some insight other than the press releases from JFR, NHRA and the AP... I do have some insight regarding the crash, and for you to report that the reason drag strips do not use a feature that may be good for NASCAR's purposes because of financial reasons or because it would require more space is irresponsible reporting at best.
Please review your future article regarding drag racing safety with some of the professional teams of DRAG RACING, and not with the knowledge you have to compare it with NASCAR... With 6000 more horsepower, almost 150mph more speed and no turns, comparing safety between Drag Racing and NASCAR racing is like comparing horse racing to roller derby...
Regards.
Martin Thomas
