What happened to TA/FC round 2
- Thread starter Cliff
- Start date
FABMAN
Nitro Member
A track guy was cleaning track in left lane. They did re run this morning and FC in left lane won didn't know his nameWhat didn't happen is more important.
That was beyond scary!
Source = NHRA.com
DG
Nitro Member
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Brian Hough
Brian Hough
INDY 4 - Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations
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mike
Nitro Member
DJ Cox
Nitro Fiend
Nitro Member
When I saw the track worker in the shutdown area on the 4 wheeler and then I saw the 2 cars staging I about had a heart attack. I hope NHRA did a full review of this incident to ensure this type of miscommunication will not occur in the future.
r2
Nitro Member
Thank God, because the tree was activated after such a long cluster and Andy Bohl did leave unbeknownst to him a man on a 2 wheel scooter was on a hot track oblivious to anything going on at all.
I'm going to leave it at that. As Alan said, there was a breakdown in communication, but that can never happen again.
8 kinds of communication breakdown.
Period
I didn’t see the incident in question.
But, I have to ask; why were the cars given the signal to fire up, much less run, in the first place?
Was nobody (track officials) looking down track to make sure the lanes were clear?
Or, did the downtrack worker suddenly go onto the track on his/her own accord after the fire-up signal was given?
But, I have to ask; why were the cars given the signal to fire up, much less run, in the first place?
Was nobody (track officials) looking down track to make sure the lanes were clear?
Or, did the downtrack worker suddenly go onto the track on his/her own accord after the fire-up signal was given?
TD5023
Nitro Member
Word is that a pilot chute had detached and wasn't immediately noticed. There was a miscommunication with the top end crew, so they went to get it while the pair on the starting line was staging. The NHRA then used the emergency shutoff mechanism on both cars, but only Andy Bohl had actually launched. This is from Will Hanna's FB page, and he's about as good a source on alky stuff that there is.
r2
Nitro Member
There was a blower belt laying on it's side in the shutdown area for 3 pair of cars. Fox clearly continued to focus on it as if to let someone in the tower watching a monitor know that there was something down there. I am surprised the people with the best binoculars, the camera operators/Fox are not in contact with the tower with a quick mic button. Everyone is already talking over everyone on different channels, I get that. Anyway, You think blower belt, no big unless you are traveling at 260+mph and only catch a glimpse that something is in front of you while trying not to tear up your stuff avoiding ???. Then a pilot chute was noticed after Bohl and Cox had done their burnouts, backed up, and were spraying deicer, ready to go. Then they were held up at the line, 2-3 minutes still running and waiting. Then they got word to stage with the official still in the middle of the left lane looking for the pilot chute in the dark on his scooter. Only Alan can give insight if the tree was actually activated, but both cars were at 7,000 RPM when Bohl took off. I have to believe someone in the tower did attempt to kill both cars as Andy shook, got crossed up and the chutes deployed. DJ never left the line. Why? I don't know if he could still see the official down there or not. You have to see it to even begin to try and figure it out.
I'd just as soon sweep this under the rug. However, it did happen and I thought it was over.
Stuff happens, but that can never happen again for sure. We need to slow down getting these cars off the track etc. for the sake of live TV which was not an issue here.
45 minute turnarounds are an issue though in my opinion.
Safety can not be compromised under any circumstance.
The quads are bad enough.
I'd just as soon sweep this under the rug. However, it did happen and I thought it was over.
Stuff happens, but that can never happen again for sure. We need to slow down getting these cars off the track etc. for the sake of live TV which was not an issue here.
45 minute turnarounds are an issue though in my opinion.
Safety can not be compromised under any circumstance.
The quads are bad enough.
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none
Nitro Member
Guys,
No mystery, no sweeping under the carpet. This was an NHRA mistake. Words directly from Josh, the VP of competition. It was a breakdown in communication from the top end to race control to the starting line. And there was a meeting Saturday evening to ensure that is doesn't happen again.
NHRA has the ability to shut the cars off from the tower. I don't know if it was activated as I was watching the track, not the race control officials. If Will Hanna says that it happened I give him the benefit of the doubt. He has no reason I can think of to make that up, and no one is more tied into what's going on in the Alcohol ranks than he is.
Alan
No mystery, no sweeping under the carpet. This was an NHRA mistake. Words directly from Josh, the VP of competition. It was a breakdown in communication from the top end to race control to the starting line. And there was a meeting Saturday evening to ensure that is doesn't happen again.
NHRA has the ability to shut the cars off from the tower. I don't know if it was activated as I was watching the track, not the race control officials. If Will Hanna says that it happened I give him the benefit of the doubt. He has no reason I can think of to make that up, and no one is more tied into what's going on in the Alcohol ranks than he is.
Alan
r2
Nitro Member
Alan,
Even though I did type those words, I only meant that I would rather not talk about this anymore. Not that anyone was trying hide anything. There is no way it could be hidden, and too many turn to you for answers that have nothing to do with you or your role with NHRA.
Thank You for taking the time to explain the situation. Which you did not have to do. I feared for that man and the potential outcome had one thing been done differently than it was. I wasn't bashing anyone or looking for an answer. Anyone who watched the sequence of events unfold knows that, that can never happen again.
I appreciate both, the insight and you personally.
That was one hell of a scary moment. The Sunoco vision monitor at the track was showing the guy was on the track still but the cars still staged.
Glad the worst was avoided and hopeful that the communication breakdowns don't ever come this close to happening again.
Curious to hear from the moped guy, what was going through his mind when he heard the revs go up.
Glad the worst was avoided and hopeful that the communication breakdowns don't ever come this close to happening again.
Curious to hear from the moped guy, what was going through his mind when he heard the revs go up.
