Thread: Scott Kalitta crash

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Well, think what you want.... But having been through a number of heart stopping runs due to different mechanical failures and driver error..... If the fans want things to consider as they are....Well they need to spend a season putting up the bucks to do it.... Our budget for two of the slow cars you refer to is over $50k a season.... So we should spend another $2K to $5K so that you will remain interested?

Nobody wants to see the cars slowed down....The rate of acceleration is incredible to witness or to feel. You seem to think some magic stopping device will appear...but until then lets just keep things as they are????

If only the 4.8 second cars are "exciting" to you, you certainly are missing out on a lot of highly technical knowledge and it's application....

As one of the drivers stated, "I'm tired of burying my friends". Maybe some magic safety device will appear eventually, but until that happens something must be done at the tracks with the short shut down areas to improve driver safety... If you can't understand this, then I must think that part of the "excitement" you go to see must be the wrecks.... If you wanted to see what is best for everyone involved in NHRA, spectator and participant, you would understand..... I have to wonder how many of your racing friends and fellow competitors you have buried......

Know, just like Papa, I'm off for stitches......

Originally Posted by techinspector1

Don't you just know it. Front ends comin' up square with the world.....YEAH BABY....

In my old "Mighty Mav 3" Super Gas 5 speed car, it wasn't a fun pass if you could see the ground before 3rd gear!!!!!!! Replacing the rollers on the wheelie bars was a frequent event!!!!!


Richard, should I make it down to your place to play some time, remind me to tell you the story of me, Lynn, and one of the Techs at Brainard!!!!!!

Even my old 7.90 rear engine digger got really hairy on the big end at some of the short shut down tracks. Ran it on the 1/8 and it was just as much fun, but a whole lot easier on parts.

Man, I can second that. Wheel hop from side to side in the traps at 175 mph in a 90" wheelbase altered. It ain't top fuel, but it sure will increase the heart rate.

Unfortunately, a lot of the motorsports are increasing speeds to the point that tracks don't work or the danger quotient goes way up. A collateral effect of that in NASCAR is the number of yellow flags and the number of races that go 490 miles, then have a green/white/checkered finish.

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

A simple cable arrangement from the burst panel to the chute handle would resolve the issue of getting the chute out instantaneously when the car bangs the blower....

Did you notice Jim Head had such a cable installed on his car for race day.
If they can stop a jet on a carrier deck they can come up with an emergency stop mechanism for these cars. Until they do, they need to give them more room either by shortening the track slowing the cars. Driver safety should be the first priority.

The NHRA has a shoddy record on requiring their sanctioned facilities to maintain adequate safety standards ............ and in all honesty, the IHRA is no better

There are a number of sanctioned strips out there with inadequate shut down areas and other severe safety issues ............. those situations need to be addressed by both the track owners and the sanctioning bodies ............ or the tracks need to be taken off the schedules

Scott Kalitta's death stinks just like Blaine Johnson's death at Indy in 1996 .......... the NHRA won't spend a dime on safety unless forced to do so by a tragedy like this .............

off my soapbox

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Well, think what you want.... But having been through a number of heart stopping runs due to different mechanical failures and driver error..... If the fans want things to consider as they are....Well they need to spend a season putting up the bucks to do it.... Our budget for two of the slow cars you refer to is over $50k a season.... So we should spend another $2K to $5K so that you will remain interested?

Nobody wants to see the cars slowed down....The rate of acceleration is incredible to witness or to feel. You seem to think some magic stopping device will appear...but until then lets just keep things as they are????

If only the 4.8 second cars are "exciting" to you, you certainly are missing out on a lot of highly technical knowledge and it's application....

As one of the drivers stated, "I'm tired of burying my friends". Maybe some magic safety device will appear eventually, but until that happens something must be done at the tracks with the short shut down areas to improve driver safety... If you can't understand this, then I must think that part of the "excitement" you go to see must be the wrecks.... If you wanted to see what is best for everyone involved in NHRA, spectator and participant, you would understand..... I have to wonder how many of your racing friends and fellow competitors you have buried......

Know, just like Papa, I'm off for stitches......

Take it easy will ya. I am not out to watch wrecks or see people get killed. Nor am I interested in slower cars regardless of what you find interesting. There a lot of things I find interesting that you would not, but I don't tell you that you are wrong because of it. And as far as the cost goes, that is determined by the MARKET which is the supply an demand thing. I don't watch this sport because of what John Force's bottom line is. If you can't afford to play then don't play. Don't blame that on the fans. Or the fact that all this damage occurs at 1001' and beyond.

If they shorten the tracks to 1000', then the set ups on these cars will evolve and adapt to that and then you will see damage and explosions occuring at say 800' feet and beyond. Then we went full circle and are back with the same debate about costs and so forth. You act like shortening them to 1000' is the miracle cure for this sport.

These guys get in the cars at their OWN risk. Nobody forces them to do it. And they know they can die. Who am I to tell them they need to race only to a 1000'?? That's for them to decide. If they get enough drivers and teams to support that, then maybe the NHRA will change it to a 1000'. But don't be surprised if a lot of fans are lost in the transition. And for an organization that struggles to maintain fans, that's not a wise choice.

I don't think a "magical stopping device" will just appear, but nothing new will be invented if they don't atleast TRY. They have spent the last 40 years trying to go faster and faster and found ways to do it but have not given the same attention to stopping. Are you telling me that there isn't a better way to stop these cars just because it hasn't been invented yet?

I find no excitement in seeing Kalitta get killed. I don't ever want to see any driver get hurt. But I refuse to believe that the "ONLY" solution is to slow the cars down and shorten the track. I do believe that if the drivers want shorter tracks and slower cars, they'd protest the NHRA rather loudly, with such action as actually parking the cars until they change it. But they aren't doing that are they?

Also, the shutdown area isn't the only danger. I remember Tony Pedgregon damn near killing a crew member by almost running over his head on the starting line due to the body hitting the throttle linkage when they tried to lift the body. He didn't even get to 1', let alone 1000' and people got hurt. As Mike Dunn always says "it's drag racing".

I'm not trying to get into a pissing match with you. I have never buried any racing friends as I don't have any, but have buried flying friends. Yet I get into a plane almost everyday.

They have been slowing these cars down for years now. They don't go nearly as fast as they could. They are restricted by tire size, gear ratio, Cubic inches, Nitro %, blower size, hat & nozzle size, and a laundry list of other engine restrictions, weight, etc. It seems lately the winner is determined by who can keep from blowing up at the big end. I think most fans go to see good clean side by side racing, not oil downs, explosions & ambulances. There will be restrictions applied in one form or another. I'm all for better braking too, but that has it's limitations also. G-Forces from stopping in that short distance is tough on the drivers also. Just ask Don Garlits and a few others.

I'm all for running the full 1/4 mile...on all of the tracks that are capable of handling the speed and getting the car stopped when the chutes get burned off.... But until then, a 1,000 ft. race is a good interim safety solution....

There have been many, many improvements in safety over the years. Unfortunately most of them came about as a result of a tragedy like this. It's just high time NHRA and the participants took a stand on these safety issues and did something about them.

No amount of safety rules will prevent all the accidents and injuries. I'd hate to see it come down to an "OSHA APPROVED" top fuel show. But the obvious things like short shut down areas can be handled easily. If the crowds won't show up to watch a 1,000' drag race at E-town, then the track will have a lot of incentive to spend the big bucks to build a new facility or buy up more land so the shutdown area can be lengthened.

I've raced on a lot of unsafe tracks, both circle burners and drag racing, usually because of sponsor commitments, points racing, or a varitey of reasons. A driver shouldn't be forced into making the decision of driving on an unsafe track or losing his ride....

It's just too bad it takes the death of people like Scott Kallita to bring the safety issue to prominence....

No hard feelings or pissin' contest on my part 737... Matter of fact I will offer you a standing invitation to come race with us sometime and get a new look at drag racing from the participant level....

Deos anybody know what the official cause of death was? Was it the fire or the sudden stop at the end?

Only speculation but I would have to say it was the crash at the end. Most of the time the big bang usually knocks out the driver which would explain no real attempt to stop. These cars catching fire is almost normal so I dont think that did it.

I have watched the video from two different angles, this is what I think happened. He was hard on the hand brake, when you do this the low air pressure in the tires can cause the back of the car to start bouncing, which his did, in my opinion he new what was going on and was trying everything too stop. But it bounced at the wrong time and he cleared the sand trap and went right into the retaining wall.
If you look at how many runs are made each year, this is a pretty safe sport. I agree there is always room for improvement, but at the speeds they are going they have done a good job.
Ken

Iwonder if the car bounced over spilt parts? I wonder how the engine tuners feel?

I had read that he died at the hospital, so yopur probably right about him hitting the wall.

Originally Posted by hotroddaddy

I had read that he died at the hospital, so yopur probably right about him hitting the wall.

I really dont like thinking about it or even saying it but after the hit with the wall dont think there was much left of him.

Originally Posted by BigTruckDriver

Iwonder if the car bounced over spilt parts?

I didn't look like that, it bounced several times. I had this problem sometimes in the Mooneyham and Sharpe coupe, there were no front brakes and when the chute would malfunction on a short track, hang on!!
Ken