Nitromater
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Safety question
- Thread starter my friends call me Zappy
- Start date
FC138fan
Nitro Member
I guess the safety record speaks volumes in that there has got to have been tens of thousands of lifting the body and dropping it while the car is running without incident.
I am amazed though that they don't clip that throttle more often when lifting or dropping... just open the butterfly a hare and it would go...
Unless someone can say (because I don't know) that it's impossible for the thing to lurch forward due to the clutch being depressed. I have always been under the assumption that if the butterflies open the car will go. If this is the case (that with the clutch depressed the car won't move) then I guess it's pretty safe to work around the car without fear of being run over as long as you trust that the driver has his foot on the clutch.
Bullet
Nitro Member
I agree.
yoda
Nitro Member
Let's see: Couple of million dollar racing operation, the best engineers in the business working on the cars, a safety record that is outstanding in relation to how many Pro cars go down tracks a season (not even counting the support teams for Touring Sportsman), and the fact that there is not ONE person up on the starting area that doesn't have complete awareness of what is going on, and then you have THIS site and it's brain trust of hens... 
Nick Name
Nitro Member
What wusses.. There was a time when fuelers did not have a reverser and used a pedal clutch.
Those of us crewing back then, would run out after the burnout and push the car back. All the while, the driver is holding the clutch pedal down. Did this hundreds of times. That's why I can't hear today.
Also before the reversers, we would push start coming down from the top end. On some of the smaller tracks, the car couldn't make the turn around at the line. Crew jumps out and pushes him back bar enough for the driver to be able to stage.
Those of us crewing back then, would run out after the burnout and push the car back. All the while, the driver is holding the clutch pedal down. Did this hundreds of times. That's why I can't hear today.
Also before the reversers, we would push start coming down from the top end. On some of the smaller tracks, the car couldn't make the turn around at the line. Crew jumps out and pushes him back bar enough for the driver to be able to stage.
elvis
Nitro Member
2nd the motion...
Buns
Nitro Member
This is the way multiple people that are actively involved with the sport on twitter also feel.
flapjack
Nitro Member
I follow quite a few top fuel drivers and I've never seen them complain about people being overly safety conscious this or about what gets written on nitromater (Ron Capp's legitimate complaint aside). Who did you have in mind when wrote that? Not a criticism, I'm just curious...
Thank you. I thought maybe I was the only one to see the lunacy of this thread. It's like a bunch of helicopter moms. Yes, something "could" happen...ANYWHERE! I mean the possibilities are infinite. Someone "could" have their foot stick to the track and twist an ankle. Someone "could" get hit in the eye with an errant rock during a burnout. Those are real possibilities as well. You can't even begin to address every possible safety hazard that is prevalent at a dragstrip. It's amazing that we don't have hundreds of serious injuries and 10 or 15 deaths at every race.
none
Nitro Member
Your burnout comment reminded me of a match race we were running years ago in Tyler, Tx. There was a problem with the barrel valve on the car and it allowed raw fuel to puddle under the headers and it caught fire about the time the car did the burnout. Picture flaming nitro being slung into the crowd behind the burnout area. Afros and mulletts were definitely in serious jeapordy!!
smokemasterJ
Nitro Member
Personally, I'm not worried so much about the crew members as I am the increasingly large numbers of people that are allowed on the starting line. When Steve Gasparelli almost went backwards after going over the wall the first thing I thought about was all those people standing back there with their "all access" credentials. Did anyone tell them where to run? Like I said, just my two cents.
FC138fan
Nitro Member
I was going to ignore this post, but it's kind of developed a following through the day and I want to comment-
What do you mean by "the unknowing?" Do you mean if you don't own or tune a car you can't have an opinion? That's the most arrogant sentence ever. I would be that those that are in your opinion "enlightened" would read the question and formulate an intellegent response (whether they agree or disagree) rather then discard the question because it came from someone who is "unknowing"
The first post opened a discussion, it was an open ended question asking for comments. I don't have a problem with anyone agreeing with you, or making sarcastic comments, it is the internet, but you kinda took it too far.
I love comments that trash this site too, if you don't like it leave.
That being said, it is the internet, people can say what they want.. I guess they can insult people too, so no hard feelings on anyone.
I believe Paul's comment was referring to those who don't necessarily offer their thoughts as opinions, but rather as facts; thus the "the unknowing trying to dictate...." line in his statement.
The great fine line between safety and wussifying. How many would have thought redoing safety nets and such a few years ago was really needed?
Why do we need all those extra padding around the helmets after all years ago it was a bike helmet, goggles and maybe a single roll bar?
It's a shame we can't have a discussion without blasting the credibilty of the site or the people in it. No harm in discussing the pros and cons either way.
Why do we need all those extra padding around the helmets after all years ago it was a bike helmet, goggles and maybe a single roll bar?
It's a shame we can't have a discussion without blasting the credibilty of the site or the people in it. No harm in discussing the pros and cons either way.
clwill
Nitro Member
Lets see if I can sum up this thread:
1) Person poses a question about a safety risk they see
2) Predictable remarks follow:
Let's agree on a few things:
1) Person poses a question about a safety risk they see
2) Predictable remarks follow:
- What a wussie!
- What do you know, you've never driven a fuel car
- You think this is unsafe, back in the day ...
- People are trying to dictate things to the drag racing world
- Nitromater is an example of how the world sucks
- No wonder this site is going down hill
Let's agree on a few things:
- Drag racing is dangerous -- and that is in many ways the draw to it.
- It can't be made completely safe, but eliminating predictable risks is prudent.
- A site with <1500 members isn't "dictating" anything.
- Nitromater is just fine, or none of you would be reading this.
FC138fan
Nitro Member
My apologies if I mis-read his post, and thank you for the correction.
Larry
Nitro Member
Drag Racing has a rich History of doing whats necessary to win .
Taken further I guess crew members should not help repair another competitors car because they might do something wrong .
Or no one can loan parts cause they might not work right .
I remember when none of the Top Fuel Cars had reversers , they all had to be pushed back !
Taken further I guess crew members should not help repair another competitors car because they might do something wrong .
Or no one can loan parts cause they might not work right .
I remember when none of the Top Fuel Cars had reversers , they all had to be pushed back !
Lets see if I can sum up this thread:
1) Person poses a question about a safety risk they see
2) Predictable remarks follow:
3) Hand wringing ensues:
- What a wussie!
- What do you know, you've never driven a fuel car
- You think this is unsafe, back in the day ...
All we're missing is comments about the "nanny state" and Obama and the cycle will be complete.
- People are trying to dictate things to the drag racing world
- Nitromater is an example of how the world sucks
- No wonder this site is going down hill
Let's agree on a few things:
Carry on...
- Drag racing is dangerous -- and that is in many ways the draw to it.
- It can't be made completely safe, but eliminating predictable risks is prudent.
- A site with <1500 members isn't "dictating" anything.
- Nitromater is just fine, or none of you would be reading this.
Where's the like button??
oh and I guess for the record, I don't have a problem with it, however if they made the call I wouldn't argue either. I always get nervous seeing the guys reach up under to wipe the tires. Geting snagged would be ugly.
