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.