Thread: Another tragic outing for the NHRA

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I'll wager anyone that dual chutes won't be on a single mount ever again!!!!!

A dragster chassis is supposed to break between driver and engine and in front of foot area----this chassis did break in front of the foot area but pieces (according to some info I saw) speared Mark inside the cage area----

Top fuel went thru a lot over the past several years---not just moving to the rear engine after Garlits lost his foot---a few items--after Herm Petersens accident at OCIR, full floating axles, no flip top fuel fillers, tanks to front of chassis---then there was another accident at OCIR where a car got upside down and under the guard rail--then dual guard rails and soon smooth concrete walls
Wings-----lots happened there
front tires-----
Rear bead locks
blower restrainsts
dual chutes
Normalized/heat treated tubing ???? for certain parts
list goes on and on---

however---this car had parachutes that were too big and they were on a single mount, it wasn't getting inspected in tech ( only an alky car) and all the attention is over in the big guy teams ----Force has all kinds of research going on, Shumacher also(John Medlin) they have there own chassis people

the tech inspectors have a tendicy to visit and check dates on seat belts and driver suits, not look at all the stress areas---usually a imperfection doesn't get noticed till there's a failure---this is what has to be changed

Wow I thought he would have been going faster then he was for his car to fold up like that after hitting the net. I thought those car were stronger structualy then that.
It's sad in any case though. Do you guys think there was a frame flaw that caused his car to fold like that?

Yes, most likely more than a few

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

I've been trying to stay away from this one----but---

Glad you didn't stay away Jerry .......... you bring an insight that most of us don't have ......... in that you've been there, done that

Thanks for chiming in

When car cert in a shop,why can't they be inspected the same way at the track inspection??.NASCAR has personnel at pit stops and for the live of me I don't understand why NHRA doesn't do the same thing.Chute packs should be under their direct observation by NHRA people.Stress areas should be inspected between rounds on car that go over a certain speed.Some of these things can and should be prevented before the cars stage.

Probably volenteer helpers----no one would tell the builder of a car that they didn't like something---

Also--as the race goes on---its get it to the staging area/starting line--maybe the other guy will light the red blub and other guy gets a free round---but if that doesn't happen, its a all out run

front of car---body isn't off of car at races and doesn't get looked at--even between meets/maybe seasons

If you have a chassis by one of the certified builders---I guarantee that as they walk around the pits/lanes, they look over cars to see how they're doing---even the competion

Another 1000 feet of shut down area and it's a moot point...he would have rolled safely to a stop.

Another 1000 feet and maybe he would of rolled to a stop, but---his chute mount failed, both chutes, one mount---is that the way any one on here would of built that car???

He would of probably rolled to a stop with just one chute, but he had two big ones and they caused the mount to fail

Can't say I've paid attention to the fuel cars chute mountings..are they mounted to separate points?

good question yellow. was wondering that myself.

Found it......

NHRA General Regulations 4.8.

If outlined in Class Requirements, mandatory to have a braking parachute produced by a recognized drag racing parachute manufacturer. Scrutineers may observe the proper operation of the parachute and inspect for worn or frayed shroud lines, ripped or dirty canopies and worn or ragged pilot chutes. Parachute cable housings should be mounted solidly to frame tube or other suitable member no further back than 1-inch (2.5 cm). The release housing must be attached within 12-inches (30.5 cm) of the parachute pack and in a manner that will allow the inner cable to release the chute. When supercharged and/or using nitromethane as a fuel, it is mandatory that the parachute pack and unpacked shroud lines be protected with fire-resistant material from the mounting point into the pack. Parachutes must have their own independent mounting. The use of ball-lock pins for parachute mounting prohibited. See Class Requirements regarding use of two parachutes. Such applications require separate shroud-line mounting points for each parachute system.

So one wonders how Nivers car passed tech.......

he could of had separate mounting points for them, but the bigger structure was the same--

also, it could of been parachute failures---they really popped open and in a high angle--

Pretty sure Jerry could tell you as well as others,but the first time I let a chute go,I thought damm the thing didn't release for a moment.That was while the pilot was deplored and once the chute did open,it was like hitting a brick wall.It was in a cross wind and then I was steering like the car was sliding towards the way the chute was open.It wanted to pull the car in that direction.Some chute openings can be kind of violent.Without a tight harness,my nose would have been up against the windshield.

Yep Big Daddy Don can tell you about that!!!
Thats why he had to have his eyes worked on,
His eye just about poped out of their sockets,
form them sudden stops.