Rocketman 207
Nitro Member
Good point Ken...
That's my biggest concern when I run my '55 at events like the Famoso Reunion....
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Pro Stock Pit Accident @ Pomona
- Thread starter mopain
- Start date
Good point Ken...
That's my biggest concern when I run my '55 at events like the Famoso Reunion....
CrewGuy
Nitro Member
It's scary when you see a cart full of kids riding around the pits during a national event.
MoparBilly
Nitro Member
Ken, you are dead on with an 0!!
After a couple of years under his belt in his SST 70 Challenger at divisional races, I finally talked my 62 year old Dad into entering a National event. I figured he would absolutely love it. He called me shortly after the race to tell me it was his first and last.. The professional truck driver with 30 + years experience said flat out, "It was the most nervous I've ever been behind the wheel of a vehicle...not racing, just trying to drive from the pits to the staging lanes, and back to the pits." He continued, "You've got people walking in every direction, golf carts, bicycles, scooters, and the majority of the fans are not the seasoned lifelong spectators, they are people who have rarely been to the track, and show no respect for the cars at all!"
I couldn't argue with him, I guess, like alot of us, I'd just grown accustomed to the madness and the chaos..but it never surprises me in the least to hear of someone getting hurt.
fizzle
Nitro Member
Thats why I have an air horn on the golf cart. Even that only seems to be heard by 1/2 of the people. I'm thinking about a train horn for this year...
"Dr. Dirt"
Nitro Member
Jason,
If you install a train horn take a video camera with you as well. We need some entertainment from time to time and that would suffice. I suspect it would remind some to keep a watch out for golf carts also to avoid the aerobic points they received from their last confrontation?
crewcheif gt/aa
Nitro Member
be careful with that as well I was using the horn on the scooter and the people tend to get scared and end jumping in front of you! Can you imagine if it where a train horn going off...You would see a mass of people falling in front of you. I think the best thing to do is put in designated walk areas like the entrance at pomona
Woah we tried that in Sanair many many years ago. well not the train horn but the aerosol horn. You could tap the tow vehicle horn and they wouldn't get out of the way. dunno if it was because they were rude or because they spoke French they didn't understand the language the tow vehicle horn was speaking. Finally out of frustration on one of our last passes returning thru the pits Larry blasts an aerosol horn in this jerks ear out the passenger side truck window. A little while later officials come to our pit and confiscate the horn and warn us not to do it again or we will be ejected..
squid
Nitro Member
Isn't that a redundant statement!?!? LMAO
Yes! There are way to many spectators and others with motorized vehicles in the pits that have no business doing so.
That and the fact that you constantly see kids operating golf carts, scooters, and go-peds when the rules clearly state that they are not allowed too. One way to cure this issue real quick is to immediate disqualify/eject any competitor who motorized pit vehicle is found being operated by a kid.
I would like to see more of the NHRA staff walking. Obviously, many of the staff need to move around the pits a lot and must have a cart or bike. Often, however, I see people riding around who could be on foot.
I make this recommendation, in part, because I think it would give the NHRA a better sense of what the fans go through getting a seat, headin' for the portable "facilities," buying a drink or a sandwich, etc.
At some of these tracks you need an all-days pass just to get parked and into your seat!
Cheers,
Ed
I make this recommendation, in part, because I think it would give the NHRA a better sense of what the fans go through getting a seat, headin' for the portable "facilities," buying a drink or a sandwich, etc.
At some of these tracks you need an all-days pass just to get parked and into your seat!
Cheers,
Ed
fizzle
Nitro Member
I was kind of kinding about the train horns... but it sounds like Gary might be hookin us up!
One for the cart, one for the 'Shaker!YouTube - horn blasters
Hey Jason...I have 2 If you want them...pm me
Oh goodie...another project...
Good thing I have an extra 30HP Screw Compressor here at the plant to supply the air to it...
I think a Tazer might be more effective.
We did have a near miss a few years ago a BIR. Jason was forced to go one way with the Cart and I was forced to go the other way with the car. If the strap between the Car and the Cart would not have broke the cart would have flipped over. My left hand took the brunt of the strap breaking when it came back a hit me.
The pedestrians on their bicycles were oblivious to the situation...
Other than that we have to take our time cuising through the pits while chasing down parts, exchanging Ring and Pinions (to heavy to carry to the MW Trailer) and doing our normal routine.
D
Nitro Member
I have to say as pit layouts go Pomona is the worst one I've seen, it would be tight going if no one was there but the racers. That said when I was hanging out with V I can't tell you how many clueless folks I almost creamed while driving the golf cart or one of the scooters at the races. People don't use all of their senses at the track, like hearing. I'm honking the horn we have to get to the lanes and folks are just standing there. But I wouldn't want NHRA to become like NASCAR and restrict pit access.
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D
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D
The Counterfeiter
Nitro Member
David - Alan makes repeated annoucements to the fans in the pits at every race about respecting teams needs to get back to their pits. He also cautions parents to control their children in a very dangerous area. I am amazed that no fans have been seriously injured or killed and give a huge amount of credit to teams for their patience. We are one injury or death away from the pits being closed.
NHRA is cracking down on pit vehicles this year - limiting teams to one per car and issuing registration stickers.
It needs to be done - we had a bad accident at Gainesville last weekend - a guy on a scooter was heading back to the pits from the staging lanes and cut the corner too tight - clipped the handlebar on a parked scooter and then hit the end of a chain-link work area fence. That catapulted him into the corner of a slideout on a motorhome parked at the end of the Top Alcohol pits, face-first. Laid his face wide open, probably broke his nose, and he's lucky he wasn't killed.
The pit speed limit is 15 mph at Gainesville, but most of the scooter riders and golf cart drivers seem to think that means "wide-open-throttle ."
Oh yeah, we were accident-free on the race track all weekend long.
It needs to be done - we had a bad accident at Gainesville last weekend - a guy on a scooter was heading back to the pits from the staging lanes and cut the corner too tight - clipped the handlebar on a parked scooter and then hit the end of a chain-link work area fence. That catapulted him into the corner of a slideout on a motorhome parked at the end of the Top Alcohol pits, face-first. Laid his face wide open, probably broke his nose, and he's lucky he wasn't killed.
The pit speed limit is 15 mph at Gainesville, but most of the scooter riders and golf cart drivers seem to think that means "wide-open-throttle ."
Oh yeah, we were accident-free on the race track all weekend long.
