Sad Day

[none]

Remember the story about the blind guys who were each touching a different part of an elephant and were trying to describe what an elephant was...
Nobody here has the complete picture. I, for one, would like to see this thread closed.

 

[Reese]

Do people realize that sometimes there are just accidents??? There's not always a good guy or bad guy? I realize in our sue happy soceity that we have to blame somebody. And yes we can sit here and point at everyone from Troy, promoter, the police and even the people crazy enough to stand right there so close with no protective barrier.
Does it help to blame?

This was an accident and out thoughts should be with those families of those that were lost as well as the peole who were injured and of course to Troy, as this is one heavy weight that he will bear forever.

My thoughts exactly. No telling how many lives this accident will save in the future.
We should realize that we all affected by this since we are drag racers and/or drag racing fans. Sorry as it maybe, when we tell a non-drag racing fan our hoppy(or passion), the only thing they will think of is this ACCIDENT. What we need to do is come together as a drag racing community and find a way to help the families in there time of need. Show them that the drag racing family cares. Maybe there a way we can start a donation drive on this site. Or maybe donate to D.R.A.W. with the understanding that the money will go to Selmer families. Let's show them that we can help instead of just getting on a computer and trying to blame, complain, etc. If anyone know of where I can donate, please post it here so I can send $100. I challange you my drag racing family to do the same.

 

[Kelly]

As anybody here can tell you, if you live with somebody with depression it rubs off on you. Let alone going out with two ladies with depression!

Not if you don't LET it, trust me!

 

[J.C.]

Rich
I commend both you, Nancy and anyone else for not firing your cars during a car show... I am going to have to tell the truth and show everyone that I had NO IDEA that they do burnouts or any other type of exhibitions at any of these charities or car shows... If you want to hear it as well as see it in action, have a video monitor playing clips from the track, or work with your local track about giving discounted coupons or free tickets to a days event... How many of those free tickets will get used anyway?? I really don't know...

But to even fathom doing a National Event type burnout on a city street lined with human beings just screams trouble... I don't care how many times it has gone without an incident... That Clay video scares the shoot out of me...

One last thing Rich... In an earlier post, you mentioned about a jet car on a public street doing a fire show... I am going to have to assume that includes a few burner pops as well... Now I'm not the brightest crayon in the box, but to me, that has disaster written all over it right there...

A car show should be just that, a place to show cars...
An exhibition of any sort should be held in a controlled environment, i.e. Racing Facility, with only people that know WTF they are doing, and not the keystone cops inspecting road conditions for a PM burnout, and doing crowd control via a walkie talkie... JMO

Flame if you wish... I have to plead ignorant here... I had no idea...
There are no words that I can come up with or have read concerning this horror... I just shake my head and wonder...

Here is one last thing that I found interesting concerning Troy and his future...Torco Racing Fuel's Competition Plus.com - Drag Racing's Internet Magazine - SELMER POLICE , “JUST A TRAGIC ACCIDENT - THAT’S IT”

I've been avoiding posting my opinions on this matter for days now. This is a very sensitive topic and I haven't been able to put my opinions and feelings down in words.

Ray, you've captured exactly how I feel about this matter. Therefore, I'll just ditto what you said and add not another word.

 

[none]

Well its happening... I have had 5 or 6 people from work who know I have worked on a Pro Mod and wanted to know what happened and why they were "street racing". I had to explain that it was "NOT" racing. But the non drag race fan just don't understand.

 

[none]

Not if you don't LET it, trust me!

Kelly are u dating two depressed woman? What will the kids say?

 

[Nitrohaulic]

More than once I've heard this reported in the news as having happened at a drag race in Tennessee with no guardrails, so that's what people think we do now.

I have bumper stickers on the side of my semi-truck from a favorite east Tennessee dragstrip which is easily 300 miles from Selmer. I've actually now seen people looking at them, then up at me with glaring looks.

 

[Don]

Re: Media Sucks!

What if the street was a little slicker than they thought and a LINE LOCK didn't hold the FRONT TIRES the way they thought it would?

You people throwing your fellow drag racer under the bus when they have to be at the lowest point in their life is damn sickening. Many of you probably do things every day with much worse INTENTIONS. This guy has to spend the rest of his life knowing that the loved ones of four people have to suffer for the rest of their lives for his accident. Just what could you say that he doesn't already know? Anyone who would kick him right now is worthless, IMO.

I'm with you brother.

 

[Jamie]

The people on here ready to hang Troy on here are very disheartening, maybe even disgusting. I bet most of you have seen exhibition burnouts, as they happen all the time around the country. Well wait, probably not, since by the attitudes and tones it seems like most of the internet crew chiefs never leave their homes. If nothing had gone wrong it would have looked great for the race team as well as drag racing in general, with the time donated to the charity event and such.

Fact of the matter is that it was a terrible thing that happened, and my heart goes out to the families of the deceased and Troy; I'm sure he feels bad enough about the situation and he doesn't need people who don't know half the facts chastising him on top of it.

Besides, I don't recall hearing all the whining when Jeggie did this burnout in downtown Ohio.

Oh yeah, and finally, anyone complaining about the news report including the words drag racer needs to get a life. Fact of the matter is, the driver involved WAS a professional drag racer, in a professional drag racing car.

 

[ford]

I stole this from yellowbullet, take a look at this racetrack where they said they same thing happened this past Saturday. A car's axle broke and he went into the fans. Luckily no one was killed, just a few hurt.

And 3rd car goes into a crowd!! - Yellow Bullet Forums

Using the same ideaology that some have used here the guy that was driving this car should have charges brought against him or should be banned from racing for life. I have not heard one person say "Wow what Troy did was a great idea". I think everyone agrees that this was a bad idea and I for one would not have thought this way prior to the accident. My heart goes out to all involved, driver, victims and witnesses to the tragedy. As a drag racing family there needs to be some sort of support to stand behind Troy while not condoning the actions and yet still stand behind those touched by the accident. We are all on the same side here and need to not forget that because at the end of the day we will still have a common factor between us.....Drag Racing in one form or another.

To answer a question above, some promod cars do use a throttle stop in the burnouts but most just freelance it.

 

[Rajunz]

You are right in your post Gary, it was a terrible, terrible accident, but in the end it was an accident. People were trying to do great things with this event, it's just a shame that things ended up the way that they did. The same could have very well happened in the Jeg's burnout above. Great White concert comes to mind, the only intent there was to provide something great for their fans, unfortunately better judgement wasn't used and things turned really bad.

 

[mike]

The door is wide open...
But we are full... Thanks but, no...

I am the last person allowed in, so James you missed your chance man!

HA!

 

[BlueStangGT]

Here's an interesting and poignant quote from one of the injured from this terrible accident. In this day and age of "blame somebody other than me regardless of the fallout" it's refreshing for me to see someone actually accept a little personal responsibility. Also, it appears from this man's statement that the police had moved everyone back to a safe distance and they re-approached on their own valition.

MyFox Memphis | Mother Loses 2 Teen Daughters in Selmer Dragster Accident

Rodger Pitchford, 18, was taken to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville for treatment on a broken right leg, chipped vertebrae and bruises on his arms and hands.

Pitchford said two police cars drove down the parade route and advised spectators to move further back from the road. He said people heeded the warning initially, then moved back in when the car was coming to get a better look.

"It was our choice to stand there," he said. "We shouldn't have been that close. If we had stayed back, I don't think that many people would have been injured because we would have had time to move out of the way."

 

[Nitrohaulic]

Well, think about it. People are lined up on the sides of a road. If you're one of them and the person between you and the car leans or steps in for a better view, with no guardrail, what are you going to do? Lean or step in a little further. What's the person on the other side of you going to do?

We keep talking about how there was no guardrail. Even if there had been one and that was the first thing the car hit and rolled over instead of hitting a pole first, there might have been more people killed.

 

[Speedy_Sticks]

Oh well shit happens, lets alll move on!

GROW UP! If you people want the reporting of drag racing/street racing reports in the media to stop, you have to have a drag racing only happens on a drag strip or airfield, somewhere controlled.

How many of you first saw a Top Fuel car before it was fired and looked and thought it can't be that fast!

Fine, I really don't care if more people get killed by this sort of thing. But please don't blame the media for more BAD reporting of drag racing/street racing accidents on the street.

You have to COMPLETELY remove all NHRA cars/bikes even doing burnouts unless it is on a strip, then the message will really get acroos.

For the bystandards credit, they couldn't know what power that car could put down.

Did you see people lining the airstrip when the double decker Airbus 380 landed at any airport? Why, these things are controlled by computers now, nothing will happen.

Plain and simple, if you want the reputation of drag racing to gain credit, you have to accept that ALL burnouts and racing has to be done on a strip, no excuses.

I really care about the NHRA and it's reputation, this is why I care so much.

I was the ONLY guy on here to post a public apology for what wrongly stated in my post about the Medlin death, I will be the first on this if needs be.

Also I suggested ways the driver can learn and gain more respect from this situation if you read my original post.

If your a parent of a kid, would you now let them watch another burnout by NHRA/AMS stars after this?

Reputation matters.

 

[willy]

Media can report all they want..but I would prefer the facts..not blowing smoke.

 

["Dr. Dirt"]

. . . Fine, I really don't care if more people get killed by this sort of thing. . .

Another gem of wisdom James?

We're taught to keep our eye on the ball -- but I fear you have been hit by one too many pitches?

For everyone's sake can we just remove this thread before more harm is done than good, and move forward?

 

[Al smith]

it is a fact of life. Accidents happen. For those finger pointers calling for Critchley to be suspended think for a moment. Do you really think anyone who has been involved in such a tragic accident would be ready to just hop back in the saddle and continue racing? If it were you what would it take? six months? a year? two years? ten years? That may have been the last burnout he will ever do in a race car for a long time to come. How many years did it take the late Clayton Harris to come back to racing after his tragic clutch explosion which killed spectators? we learn from tragedy. If we want to point fingers we could ask, who was ultimately responsible for crowd control? Certainly not Troy. Who failed to set up concrete jersey barriers which can be rented from road construction firms? It was not Troys crew. Troy did nothing more than perform a procedure that had been performed in the past for decades by other professionals. Only This one time a worst case scenario reared its ugly head. Doing a burnout on a city highway introduces a bunch of variables not seen on your usual VHT treated rubber coated racetrack that has been ground billiard table smooth. How can you even tell how fast you are going when there is no tug on the motor and initially your lane it three times wider than your average lane on a drag strip? I am not suggesting he should not accept responsibility. But now is the time for prayer and to learn what can be done to reduce the chances of this ever happening again. Those in charge of safety I think were overwhelmed and unprepared for the power and potential danger these type of cars posses. Rather than b**ch about media coverage and point fingers, instead As a representative of a typical drag racing fan why not donate to a recovery fund?

 

[Von Halen]

For everyone's sake can we just remove this thread before more harm is done than good, and move forward?

Hey Doc,

Why are you so hell bent on getting this thread removed? How is censoring peoples opinions moving forward? Are you one of those guys that brushes everything under the carpet? Internalizes their feelings? You can't "move forward" if you don't talk about the past.

Nobody is going to die from reading this thread. People died from this incident. If it can't be talked about openly on a message board dedicated to the sport that this incident derived from, then I guess it can't be talked about at all.

Acting like this never happened is not the answer.

I just hope there comes a day when somebody gives an honest answer as to why and how this happened. I realize that because of all the legal implications, that won't or can't, be done right now. The days of people just standing up and excepting responsibility for their actions seem to be long gone. We wouldn't even be having a debate if the responsible parties just came out and honestly said what happened. Like I said, I know that can't happen because of the legalities. Sure would be nice though.

 

[Don]

If the driver doesn't voluntarily retire, he should receive a lifetime ban from participating in sanctioned drag racing.

Racers have tried to improve the image drag racing for the past 50 years only to have this tragedy occur and do irrepairable damage to the cause. Race cars belong on race tracks.

My biggest concern is the victims and their families. Condolences to them all.

So, I guess that would apply to every single racer that has done a burnout in a race car and/or a street car anywhere that WAS NOT a official sanction racetrack…
That is what you’re saying