Poll: 1000 Foot Tracks (1 Viewer)

[DG]

OK, lets see what you all think.

Something significant has to be done and I believe that a significant number of the current problems and risks can be mitigated by shorting the tracks to 1000 feet.

Only minor physical changes necessary to all of the tracks and their computer systems are needed, reducing the local track's cost of change.

The current fuel and engine rules stay the same, except for the "Rev. Limiter" timing [if it's even needed with a 1000 foot track!].

The number of "good" seats for the fans are not significantly reduced.

This will likely reduce carnage for long enough to keep the drivers safe for a while.

There are plenty of 1000 foot incremental available from past National and Track Records to establish new "revised" records for the teams to challenge.

While not the primary reason, there's a good chance that, initially, the cost of blown up engines and cars will be reduced too.

Of course, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong!

 

[.]

None of the above!

 

[rick]

like Brent said....none of the above

 

[bing]

Option 4, lets grieve for Scott and let the drivers, the tracks and the NHRA sort it all out.

If things were as dangerous as some of you make out do you think the drivers would strap themselves in these cars?

 

[TF CREW]

NONE of the above

What makes you believe that 1000' tracks will save on engine damage? all that will happen is the the fuses will be shortend and we would tune the motors to be run just as hard to 1000 as they were to 1320.

 

[Ma Green]

IMO, 1000' ft tracks serve no purpose. Racers will soon figure out how to get just as quick & fast as before. Everyone knows the risks & dangers associated with drag racing, no matter the class, quoting someone near & dear to me, "you just don't expect the track to kill them".

 

[turbo ken]

None of the above.
The parachute canopies are made out of nylon, maybe it's time to make them out of alot more fire retardant material.

 

[The Swegian]

None of the above.
The parachute canopies are made out of nylon, maybe it's time to make them out of alot more fire retardant material.

That, and lengthen the shutdown areas. Many of the tracks were built when cars were barely exceeding 200mph. How could they know back then that someday, 330+mph would be a reality?

 

[Potknot]

shorter tracks will help. is it the answer? i believe not racing is dangerous.

 

[Jim]

None of the above.
The parachute canopies are made out of nylon, maybe it's time to make them out of alot more fire retardant material.

First:
NHRA shouldn't go off half-cocked on something so material as shortening the "1/4 Mile standard".

It SEEMS to me that the shredding of chutes has been a common denominator in several accidents in the last couple years - "fortunately" the concrete side walls scuffed-off enough speed to avoid catastrophic results in most. I suspect (I have NO REAL KNOWLEDGE) that current chutes are "fireproof" to a certain temperature but fully engulfed by Nitro and a 200+ MPH blast of oxygen, the standards are exceeded. Maybe new standards (initially for the fuel cars?) can/should be implemented.

To the extent shut down areas (heck, the entire facility) can be engineered to be safer (longer shut-down, barrier free, flexible retaining devices) engineered to be safer - they should be. (i.e. could Englishtown get a "waiver" to extend EMERGENCY shutdown across Pension Road whenever Fuel Cars run??) - Would require traffic changes and political involvement.

PS: I'm pretty sure a 1,000 foot race will be just as enjoyable to most fans but (as mentioned elsewhere), crew chiefs will quickly learn they have to tune them to explode sooner - this sport is all about pushing the envelope. Perhaps there are opportunities in "pushing the SAFETY envelope" too.

 

[Bobby]

Why do funny cars need to run as fast as top fuelers?

 

[Rexfiles]

First:
NHRA shouldn't go off half-cocked on something so material as shortening the "1/4 Mile standard".

It SEEMS to me that the shredding of chutes has been a common denominator in several accidents in the last couple years - "fortunately" the concrete side walls scuffed-off enough speed to avoid catastrophic results in most. I suspect (I have NO REAL KNOWLEDGE) that current chutes are "fireproof" to a certain temperature but fully engulfed by Nitro and a 200+ MPH blast of oxygen, the standards are exceeded. Maybe new standards (initially for the fuel cars?) can/should be implemented.

To the extent shut down areas (heck, the entire facility) can be engineered to be safer (longer shut-down, barrier free, flexible retaining devices) engineered to be safer - they should be. (i.e. could Englishtown get a "waiver" to extend EMERGENCY shutdown across Pension Road whenever Fuel Cars run??) - Would require traffic changes and political involvement.

PS: I'm pretty sure a 1,000 foot race will be just as enjoyable to most fans but (as mentioned elsewhere), crew chiefs will quickly learn they have to tune them to explode sooner - this sport is all about pushing the envelope. Perhaps there are opportunities in "pushing the SAFETY envelope" too.

I'm not a engineer Jim, but my thinking has always been that in the course of the aftermath of a horrific explosion, that there is NO atmosphere whatsoever behind the car, nothing of signifigance behind the vehicle to "catch" anything.

I have observed that most carnage happens at past the 1000' mark.

In this instance the event would not have happened WHERE it did in any case, but if so just before the 1000' mark. adding around 400' of shutdown.

Would the outcome be the same?

I'm not a prognosticator, nor that smart.

But E-town, from my perspective, E-town's shutoff is dangerous.

Until something is done there I will NOT go back with my $$$$$$.

And I have been going since the mid seventies.

I will vote on this with my wallet.

Not on a online poll.

That is where it will hurt

REX

 

[mike cummings]

Why do funny cars need to run as fast as top fuelers?

Because it keeps spectators coming to the tracks and TV audiences tuning in.

If a cap were to be put on the performance of this sport, then it would become alot less interesting and lose spectators.

 

[Watchman]

Why not have a driver released hook on the back of the car or wheelie bars. Like aircrafts on an aircraft carrier.

Have 3 cables across the track to give more chances of "catching".

If it can stop a jet that weighs many tons it can stop a car that weighs 1 ton.

The outcome would not be worse than Saturday.

Someone like Jim Head could design this and make it work.

Leave the sand trap and net as last resort.

Also it seems like a short track like Englishtown could have had ten rows of those water filled barrels to cushion the impact.

Anything better than a concrete barrier.

Mike

 

[Nitrohaulic]

I think a question that needs to be asked is should a driver be able to cross a finish line at whatever the MPH record for his or her class is, lose chutes and brakes and, have a reasonable expectation of being able to survive?

Has anyone ever put a comparison of each national event track on paper to show shutdown area length, whether it's elevated (and at how many degrees), what's supposed to catch or slow you after that distance, etc?

 

[Marchboom]

The sand is SUPPOSED to slow down the car quickly but at the speeds that some of the cars have been entering "the beach" they usually nose dive and flip. The car is almost always tore up pretty good.

The only thing I can think of is to install (not cheap, though) an arresting cable type device similar to what a carrier uses to stop fighters. The car would remain upright and would be stopped within a short distance. There would be a lot of engineering needed but how else can we stop these cars? This would also eliminate the need to lengthen the shut down area, which can't be done at some tracks.

 

[qtermile14]

First:
NHRA shouldn't go off half-cocked on something so material as shortening the "1/4 Mile standard".

It SEEMS to me that the shredding of chutes has been a common denominator in several accidents in the last couple years - "fortunately" the concrete side walls scuffed-off enough speed to avoid catastrophic results in most. I suspect (I have NO REAL KNOWLEDGE) that current chutes are "fireproof" to a certain temperature but fully engulfed by Nitro and a 200+ MPH blast of oxygen, the standards are exceeded. Maybe new standards (initially for the fuel cars?) can/should be implemented.

To the extent shut down areas (heck, the entire facility) can be engineered to be safer (longer shut-down, barrier free, flexible retaining devices) engineered to be safer - they should be. (i.e. could Englishtown get a "waiver" to extend EMERGENCY shutdown across Pension Road whenever Fuel Cars run??) - Would require traffic changes and political involvement.

PS: I'm pretty sure a 1,000 foot race will be just as enjoyable to most fans but (as mentioned elsewhere), crew chiefs will quickly learn they have to tune them to explode sooner - this sport is all about pushing the envelope. Perhaps there are opportunities in "pushing the SAFETY envelope" too.

I would agree with Jim about extending the shutdown across Pension Rd, if it were feasible. Back when they ran at National Trail Raceway near Columbus, Ohio, they did that. I am not sure it would be feasible here, because looking at the satellite view, there are tons of homes just south of the track that may use this road, while at Ntl Trail it is still in a rural farming area. The only way to increase the shutdown area here would be to make the track less than a quarter mile. They definitely need to get rid of that K-Rail at the end of the sand trap.

 

[Rexfiles]

I would agree with Jim about extending the shutdown across Pension Rd, if it were feasible. Back when they ran at National Trail Raceway near Columbus, Ohio, they did that. I am not sure it would be feasible here, because looking at the satellite view, there are tons of homes just south of the track that may use this road, while at Ntl Trail it is still in a rural farming area. The only way to increase the shutdown area here would be to make the track less than a quarter mile. They definitely need to get rid of that K-Rail at the end of the sand trap.

I would be very surprised if the residents would tolerate that.

They already are on the offense against that place almost all the time.

Alot of those homes there are probably a half mill. on up.

Lotta' professional white collar office types.

Not really typical Drag fans.

I would say.........ice cubes chance in Hell.

REX

 

[Nitrohaulic]

What about the lego blocks you see on highways in front of bridge supports? You see them on the backs of trucks that are lowered in such a way as to protect the workers in front of them.

 

[jim]

At first I doubted the above mentioned tailhook idea, but the more I think about it, the more practical it sounds.

Runaway truck nets that can stop a big truck exist. They apparently pay out the net in a controlled fashion and bring the truck to a stop slowly.

I don't think that every accident requires an instant rule change, but if something had to be done, a tailhook and/or net sounds pretty darn good to me.