Vandergriff Fined $20k by NHRA (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Paul
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TR
Nitro Member
We'll I know they are using the rule that he left his car as the number one reason for the fine. I think they fined him more because Bob reamed GL good, they are backing into an excuse. People are not all going to agree on who or what is right but Bob has a lot of people on his side and think he did the right thing as the race was cancelled right after his rant. I have never heard GL admit he or NHRA ever made a mistake. Mike your entitled to your opinion and so am I.
Rick
MM
Nitro Member
Light flat out said the track was sub par. Several people have reamed him good over the years, this is not a new occurrence. I get the feeling that Light could have announced that they used the 20 grand to cure ALS and people would still find fault with it. And people want to credit Bob with getting the race cancelled but there were FCs pulling out of line before Vandergriff even fired his car. I don't begrudge Bob for what he did. He acted on emotion and in the spur of the moment. We've all been guilty of it, and to his credit he has stuck by his actions. He has also accepted his penalty without much of a fight so I don't understand why it's so hard for other people to do so.
FABMAN
Nitro Member
What I would expect Is his explanation why he started the race to begin with. With being a racer and the decision maker safety for the drivers come first and he should have known after watch the safari working track as long as they did it was not safe to run on. Why did he put these cars on the track, he doesn't want to talk about that and why Bob V was so mad, I'm in no way condoning what Bob did but how far would he have gone had Bob not done what he did.
FABMAN
Nitro Member
[QUOTEI"Mike Minick, post: 329114, member: 568"]Light flat out said the track was sub par. Several people have reamed him good over the years, this is not a new occurrence. I get the feeling that Light could have announced that they used the 20 grand to cure ALS and people would still find fault with it. And people want to credit Bob with getting the race cancelled but there were FCs pulling out of line before Vandergriff even fired his car. I don't begrudge Bob for what he did. He acted on emotion and in the spur of the moment. We've all been guilty of it, and to his credit he has stuck by his actions. He has also accepted his penalty without much of a fight so I don't understand why it's so hard for other people to do so.[/QUOTE]
Mike, would sub par be ok with you, put a 300,000 investment and risk yourlife on the track. I didn't hear that but if that's what he said he should fired immediately. SUB PAR that's an idiotic statement.
Mike, would sub par be ok with you, put a 300,000 investment and risk yourlife on the track. I didn't hear that but if that's what he said he should fired immediately. SUB PAR that's an idiotic statement.
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MM
Nitro Member
There is a big difference between sub par and dangerous. Yes, I have run on a track that I knew was not in the best condition. We, as a team, prepared the car the best we could to get down the track and I mentally prepared myself to know that I may have to alter my driving style to get the car from A to B. Things are not always going to be perfect and to expect them to be so will do nothing except lead you to disappointment. I wouldn't expect anyone to sympathize with me if I made the conscious decision to race on a track and then decided after the fact that said track was "unsafe". I didn't see the track in Atlanta as being unsafe, but that opinion is mine and mine alone.
Mike, would sub par be ok with you, put a 300,000 investment and risk yourlife on the track. I didn't hear that but if that's what he said he should fired immediately. SUB PAR that's an idiotic statement.[/QUOTE]
Even when the weather is good, sometimes "sub-par" is the best the safety safari can do. NHRA home of one lane race track way to much.
FABMAN
Nitro Member
Mike I respect your thoughts. But it NHRA responsibility to provide a safe atmosphere for everyone attending this race and sub par is not acceptable and it would not hold up in court.
yoda
Nitro Member
Englishtown on a humid Saturday night with 16 funny cars dancing on the edge would be considered "sub-par". "Pristine" would be what we have gotten spoon-fed in the past decade or so. "Dangerous" is something that we don't see NHRA put their pro cars on. Somehow, some folks here (again) have a misguided concept of what this sport is supposed to be about.
Dave
Nitro Member
I think the race was great. It was different than what everyone is used to, and a real drivers race. Had one lane been worse than the other (as we see all too often) then that's one thing. Both lanes were prepared equally and there was no advantage either way. I agree with the fine for parking the car on track. Speaking of unprofessionalism.. The safety safari should have pushed it off into the woods because there was no one in it to steer it off. You want your racecar? Go get it.. (Unfortunately that would be letting your temper get the best of you, but still a funny thought.) Bottom line is, Bob Vandergriff isn't in charge of the NHRA and it is no business of his how they conduct their event. If he personally felt it was unsafe, pack up and go home. The NHRA was around 40 years before Bob started, and it will be around long after he's gone. It is their sandbox and you do not cross them. The fine makes total sense.
Let me guess, 1982 Summernationals after TF Semis?
FABMAN
Nitro Member
FABMAN
Nitro Member
I will try to understand where you're at on this. To start with Drag Racing is running your Hot Rod from point A to B usually 1/4 distance to see how quick and how fast it will go. Now you were talking about a Sat even with 16 F/C running down 1/4 mile out of control that sounds like a Late Model feature at local dirt track. You say a lot of us have lost what the concept of Drag Racing really is. Martin I really doubt you would let your children race on a sub par racing surface. Atlanta had no rubber left on track when GL. sent T/F down the track.
FABMAN
Nitro Member
Its their Sand Box, NHRA belongs to the members and supporters. Graham Light is paid by the organization to run it he doesn't own it. You have a rule book to go by and Bob violated rules and he accepted the fine. But lets remind ourselves that the Management also has rules to standby as well and they failed.
yoda
Nitro Member
Jesse- understand this. The "sub-par" surfaces that everyone states the ATL track was is no worse than any racing surface that thousands of drivers ran on for decades before every driver needed their lane "groomed" and a perfect match of the opposite lane- as we have been bamboozled to believe makes a great drag race. Not every track can be fly paper sticky and bowling lane smooth, and any good tuner will know that and any good driver will know whether or not they will be able to negotiate it. Bob had so much supposedly going against him in that round that had he given it any thought, he would have considered taking the pass at all. He chose to hit the gas- his decision. I have put my kid on quote "sub-par" tracks, but not because they were unsafe, but because the track just sucked. Tune accordingly and have confidence your driver can do their job and if that doesn't make you feel comfortable, put it back on the trailer. E-town is just an example of great racing in the day that took place in the same "sub-par" conditions.
FABMAN
Nitro Member
Martin I am not new at this I have been involved in Drag Racing since 1970 , I have wrench and match race with Danny Pickets "Overland Express F/C" and I have been to a lot of low budget drag strips so i know how different track surfaces can be. They removed the rubber from the concrete service and Graham Light let them race on it that a sign of incompetence as a director of operation and it was wrong. I don't condone the way Bob went about approaching this but I agree with him.
I think it was at indy in the 70's, may have been around when he ended up crew chief for shirley as he was banned from driving.
Summernationals 82 I remember the whole Connie impatient on his opponent taking a long time to stage and then Connie blew his engine and was walking back and yelling at officials as they pushed his car all the way.
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