Run of the Year

[Dennis]

I have 2 questions about this. When you watch the slow motion part of the video, Cruz is on the throttle and it is way up in the air. There is no smoke from the tires or dropped cylinders, not even hazing the tires before the throttle plates close and the flames go out. 1, Why didn't the wheelie bars unload the tires before it got anywhere near the point where the air could lift it? 2, WHY didn't Cruz lift sooner? I know it's race day but look how high Cruz let the car get with the throttle plates wide open and flames over the roof. I know things happen fast in nitro racing but Cruz is a very experienced driver and it seems to me he was on the throttle way too long.

I'm assuming the answer to #1 is twofold - First he was out of the throttle by the time the wheels lifted off the ground and second I'm assuming there was still downforce on the rear until the car reached a critical point. Personally I'm surprised that those little wheels on the wheelie bar didn't melt off at 230 mph.

As for #2...well you watched it in slow-mo. Every accident is avoidable in slow-mo. Watch it in regular speed. I thought it was a testament to his driving ability with how early he lifted. I believe a lesser driver would have stayed in it not knowing what was happening.

 

[PJ]

Todd Lesenko's are BIGGER

Wow, the super slow-mo of that is amazing

 

[Just Paul]

Why didn't the wheelie bars unload the tires before it got anywhere near the point where the air could lift it? .

The top rails of the wheelie bar collapsed.

 

[stitcherbob]

Wow, the super slow-mo of that is amazing

that vid is one of the best camera jobs in drag racing history.....gotta watch that one in full screen for the full effect!

 

[Rajunz]

I have 2 questions about this. When you watch the slow motion part of the video, Cruz is on the throttle and it is way up in the air. There is no smoke from the tires or dropped cylinders, not even hazing the tires before the throttle plates close and the flames go out. 1, Why didn't the wheelie bars unload the tires before it got anywhere near the point where the air could lift it? 2, WHY didn't Cruz lift sooner? I know it's race day but look how high Cruz let the car get with the throttle plates wide open and flames over the roof. I know things happen fast in nitro racing but Cruz is a very experienced driver and it seems to me he was on the throttle way too long.

This is what happened to the wheelie bars, surprised they didn't break in half. Photo sequence here by Lyle Greenberg.
http://www.hotrod.com/articles/cruz...bpl=fb&adbpr=13601527539#cruzpedregon-004-jpg

 

[turbo ken]

appreciated very much, but now I got "The Final Countdown" stuck in my head before turning in for the night.....

Same thing happened to me

 

[none]

Wow, the super slow-mo of that is amazing

Amen! It really shows how on-the-ball Todd was with his steering corrections. Skillful (instinctive!) driving and those two big 'ol chutes really saved his bacon!

 

[mick]

Body tethers on the rear are probably what kept it from blowing completely off. The rear tree of the body was totally disengaged.....

i did not know the rear of body was tethered? always thought only the parachute lines connected body to chassis....thought body just
hinged in back and was secured in front by the two T-shaped handles/latches?

that photo sequence is most likely in top ten category of all-time best drag racing photo sequences.....unbelievable

similar but unrelated......notice burn marks on body, also see them on many others lately.....tried to look closely at john and courtney's
bodies in final and was not able to see burn marks on wrap.....are some of the teams patching the effected area?.....especially in
event of final round exposure with various media.......and if they are patching, is it every round, or just selectively?

 

[Justin@NRE]

i did not know the rear of body was tethered? always thought only the parachute lines connected body to chassis....thought body just
hinged in back and was secured in front by the two T-shaped handles/latches?

that photo sequence is most likely in top ten category of all-time best drag racing photo sequences.....unbelievable

similar but unrelated......notice burn marks on body, also see them on many others lately.....tried to look closely at john and courtney's
bodies in final and was not able to see burn marks on wrap.....are some of the teams patching the effected area?.....especially in
event of final round exposure with various media.......and if they are patching, is it every round, or just selectively?

Body tethers were mandatory until Johnny Gray tried to blow the body off, but instead the body just crumpled and left the firewall right in his line of sight. They've since become optional...

Funny cars have a long L-shaped slot mounted to the tree on the chassis that a main cross bar in the rear body tree slides into. Effectively creates a hinge so they can lift the nose of the body without pulling the whole thing off. The parachute lines are attached to the chassis under the rear end, if the body was to fly completely off, the parachutes would come out of their packs on the body since the lines are still attached to the chassis. With Cruz' deal, you can see the main cross bar is out of the chassis mounts, so the only thing I can figure is that he had body tethers holding it in place. See the hook just behind the right side tire? That's where the rear of the body mounts. I can't believe that the only thing holding that body on are the front hooks.

 

[.]

I can't believe that the only thing holding that body on are the front hooks.

Quite an impressive demo of how strong that front double-latch is!

 

[stitcherbob]

it also looked like the body was hooked on the injector hat....the body (pink) is jammed in the center of the hat

 

[mick]

.........I can't believe that the only thing holding that body
on are the front hooks

i can't either justin, but i guess i really don't know.....front hooks? tethers? injector caught on body?......and did the body come down
and fall rite back into rear slots?........craziest run in a long time.....so many things could have gone so wrong, and hardly any did.....amazing.

 

[none]

....so many things could have gone so wrong, and hardly any did.....amazing.

After my initial amazement with the run, my first thoughts were that Eric Medlen, with his rodeo skills, was helping Cruz ride that bucking bronc. IIRC Eric participated primarily in roping events but I bet he knew a thing or three about dealing with a wild ride!

 

[.]

When Cruz got out of the car it looked like he was wearing a helmet painted to match his "California Charger" NFC.

 

[turbo ken]

Those dual front body latches are a lot stronger than the old single front latch they used to run.

 

[none]

Most cars when they were running teathers If i remember right had a plate near the A pillar to mount them too. Don't see them on Cruz's. Was just one of those deals that ended up good and not very very bad.

 

[mick]

this is like a scissor lift.....pivot point at rear wheels as chassis lifts.....pivot point at front latches as air pressure builds under body causing body to rise and releasing pressure under it (roof hatch and burst panel also releasing pressure).....speed and air pressure decrease and everything pivots back where it started.

 

[TSK]

Whoever shot that photo sequence did an amazing job. It's great that such an oddball run was captured not only on video but on stills as well.

 

[ironpony]

So, thinking out loud here,
IF the wheelie bars did not fail, collapse, would it of been better or worse scenario?

I say "safer", wheels would of unloaded and front end would of came back down sooner?

 

[stitcherbob]

So, thinking out loud here,
IF the wheelie bars did not fail, collapse, would it of been better or worse scenario?

better....