Spoiler Alert Matt Hagen vs Robert Hight Rd 2 (1 Viewer)

[TF CREW]

I don’t think they make them hit the scale when this happens do they?

no

 

[.]

unfortunately they probably won't till someone dies!!

Don't hold your breath. In 2008 Scott Kalitta died in a crash that was the result of a body shredding engine explosion.

How long til someone makes a rear engine Funny Car?

Big Jim Dunn (and others, including Force) had a rear engine funny car decades ago. They never caught on like the rear engine dragster.

 

[TooTall999]

So Hagen got to run a back up car after this? I thought you had to run the car you qualified on Sunday?

 

[Percboy]

So Hagen got to run a back up car after this? I thought you had to run the car you qualified on Sunday?

I think for semis & finals it is allowed.

 

[Dave]

So Hagen got to run a back up car after this? I thought you had to run the car you qualified on Sunday?

I don't know, but Matt Hagan did. That rule has been changed. You can replace the car once during the weekend even in eliminations. Steve Torrence ran the semi finals at Dallas last year with a different car than the one he broke in half against the wall in round 2.

I think for semis & finals it is allowed.

It is allowed in any round.

 

[Con]

I believe the rule is that the back up car can't have been used previously at that event. So a team can't switch back and forth between cars.
Another situation might be team a looses in round one. Team b blows up their car. Team b can't continue by using the team a car because it has already ran at that event.

 

[Nunz]

Dave Rieff brought up a good point yesterday, asking if the explosions this year in FC had anything to do with the rev limit adjustment that the FC guys had to make for this year. I know in the past CC's have complained about the rev limiter in the fuel classes, stating it caused carnage. I don't know, just throwing it out there. It's probably as simple as all the teams are just pushing these things beyond their limits, the boost numbers and fuel volumes are insane.

 

[TSK]

How long til someone makes a rear engine Funny Car?

That sounds like a good idea.

 

[mick]

wouldn't you think some sort of announcement will be made very soon regarding the frequency of these top end explosions? (both nitro classes)

 

[vegasnitro]

So Hagen got to run a back up car after this? I thought you had to run the car you qualified on Sunday?

Steve Torrence brought out a backup car after his wreck last year in Dallas.

 

[dboxell]

Don't know how they are revlimiting the cars but its a BAD thing to do it with the ignition.

 

[mikebcurve]

Don't know how they are revlimiting the cars but its a BAD thing to do it with the ignition.

Technically I don't think it's a rev limiter.

 

[Joker]

Lee Beard’s explanation:

I'm going to tell you what is going on. My belief is based on the laws of physics and the properties of nitromethane. What you are seeing is a phenomenon called autoignition . That means the fuel is combusting without a source of ignition. This can happen when the pressure and temperature in the intake port or manifold rise to the point of the fuel's autoignition level. That level for nitromethane is 780 degrees Fahrenheit. Now we all know that the pressure or boost being put out by the superchargers has gone up tremendously over the past 5 years. That pressure causes the heat to rise to that critical point. I hope this gives you an understanding of what you are seeing.

 

[Just Paul]

Don't know how they are revlimiting the cars but its a BAD thing to do it with the ignition.

Technically I don't think it's a rev limiter.

Strictly an ignition retard. Once you reach 7900 rpm, it starts to pull timing away from it at a steady rate. It's not a true rev limiter.

 

[Z28LT1]

Lee Beard’s explanation:

I'm going to tell you what is going on. My belief is based on the laws of physics and the properties of nitromethane. What you are seeing is a phenomenon called autoignition . That means the fuel is combusting without a source of ignition. This can happen when the pressure and temperature in the intake port or manifold rise to the point of the fuel's autoignition level. That level for nitromethane is 780 degrees Fahrenheit. Now we all know that the pressure or boost being put out by the superchargers has gone up tremendously over the past 5 years. That pressure causes the heat to rise to that critical point. I hope this gives you an understanding of what you are seeing.

This makes sense during JF's Q2 run. There was visually nothing wrong with the car or the run before the boomer. Everything else I've seen this year, there have been mitigating circumstances.

 

[stitcherbob]

every one of these is happening at speed at the top end....back some time ago the blowers would bang at the starting line and some bodies got broken (but with no speed they stayed put)

Gary Ormsby's Fueler with the Indycar body was one of those, so was this

 

[Cliff]

What Lee said makes a lot of sense. I have seen fuel cars literally blow the mag out of the engine and keep running. Saw Shirley do that one year at Pomona. I think they are pushing the engines to the point of no return. My 2 cents.

 

[DrRocket]

Iffen I'm remembering correctly, they were interviewing Robert Height after his boomer, and he said (I'm paraphrasing here.) that perhaps, just maybe they've reached the mechanical limits of the engines withe the current blower setup.

OK, fine, then why aren't the diggers blowing 'em up the same way?

 

[MM]

OK, fine, then why aren't the diggers blowing 'em up the same way?

They are.

 

[mikebcurve]

If they could keep the bodies on I don't think anyone would be paying so much attention to them.