Driver ejection,NHRA cover up at St. Louis

[Bob Mulry]

Originally Posted by Lenny5160

I'm not 100% clear on what the 'easy call' result would be.

From what you've written, crossing the lane line is the worst infraction there is, so that driver would be the loser since Worst trump First? Illegal car wins?

Yes....

Worst always is a loss.....

Same infraction, the first is the loser..

If you are light you are the first, so red light, breakout, and time out they all came second...

[cmracing]

Hey Bruce, put a Winters or TCI shifter in there, will never have that issue again. That is all I have ever used, been at this since 1990, never stuck it in reverse by accident.

[Darrel Goheen]

Video Link

[Casey Miles]

In the late 70's, I was in Epping and racing Rich Rann. I lost the Rd, but at the finish line, Rich hit his brakes not to break out, went behind my car and ended up in the weeds. Since it was after the finish line he continued to race. So he crossed the line just missing my car and crashed, not the same call as this link.

Casey Miles
248H Stock ?

[Bruce Kastle]

Lots of food for thought. An easy fix,that would bring consistency to the judgement call would to change the wording in the rule and remove the subjective "judged as excessive braking past the finish line" to," crossing the center line after the finish line for any reason". Then it would be an" easy call"and no more accusations of favoritism for the A list drivers. Oops, it would only work unless it was applied to ALL classes and drivers, that would never work! Bad idea - never mind.

[1347]

Originally Posted by Speer Drag Racing

The ruling was excessive braking. If you took 2 minutes to go back and look at the video that D3TV now thankfully gives us, you can see he was well past the finish line and his story backs the case of putting it in Reverse. I would imagine the DD would have had access to this video since even I was able to rewind and watch it immediately after it happened. With championships on the line it seems to me an immediate DQ should have adequate evidence. Now if you are DQ'ing him for making a mistake and then threatening a year suspension you are opening a huge can of worms. Do you DQ someone for not tightening up the front end and doing an uncontrollable wheelie if they don't cross the center line? They made a mistake on an adjustment that could have potentially put the other racer in danger if they would have crossed. We all make mistakes and we all know racing has it's dangers and as many people here have pointed out there were a lot of "what-ifs" but where is the line that someone has subjective control of the outcome of a race? From the sounds of some of these responses I am sure glad some of you are not DD's!

"Anytime it has been judged that excessive braking has resulted in loss of control that results in contact with the guardwall and/or light fixtures or crossing the center boundary lines, INCLUDING PAST THE FINISH LINE, the contestant will be disqualified"

It's a shame he was ejected, and yes, after explanation of what happened there is no reason to believe hes not lying, but put yourself in the DD's spot. Do you think everyone who has ever been ejected for excessive braking said " OK " and not had an excuse or a story on why or how it happened? I am not sure if "instant replay " is something that has been used in the past to reverse a call in Sportsman racing, and if it does get used, is it fair that not every race has video rolling for every minute of racing. Also the" championship on the line" could apply the first round of the first race of the year if you could able to look at a crystal ball 6 months later. No one can say by looking at that video that the story given is what happened. The video is from behind, and you cant see the rear tires going backwards.Yes maybe if you have a big enough screen with good resolution, but is that what we are expecting at every race? to call up in the booth like an NFL game for a review? Most Stock and SS racers feel tech is getting less and less, but we want them to ramp up this? I think the call made for the circumstance was made to fit the rule since it states that the infraction can be made even after the finish line. I wonder how many people would be debating this if the cars got together due to this unfortunate mistake.

Dave Leclaire ruined his original RO23 hemi car doing the same thing, he wasn't ejected because he lost or it was a qualifying run, but he will never make that mistake again, and corrected the ability to make that mistake. I'm glad no one was hurt, no cars were wrecked, and he can race another day.

[Bruce Kastle]

Just a final thought , and I'm done. Just watched the video for the first time, yes it looked bad, but I would venture to say that there is no driver out there that could have regained control and kept the car going straight and out of the wall, any quicker as he did.
I wish you all, good health and a joyful off season.

[Charley Downing]

Yet another example of the excessive breaking rule being used different by different Divisions.

Was this racer given a warning earlier in the day for excessive breaking in an earlier round of competition? If not then why are other racers given warnings for excessive breaking? Does this now mean warnings will not be given for excessive breaking?

Let’s not forget the track was 40 degrees and they wrecked 6 race cars that weekend.

Maybe the New Division director should have been worried about everyone safety that weekend and not ran the event past 4pm in the afternoon because of track temp. I watched more good ss cars blow the tires off at the hit during this event then the first 5 points meets combined. Including the final of SS.

Anytime it has been judged that excessive braking has resulted in loss of control that results in contact with the guard wall and/or light fixtures or crossing the center boundary lines, INCLUDING PAST THE FINISH LINE, the contestant will be disqualified"

The only way for this rule to ever be clear is it needs to be very simple,
If there’s smoke you’re out. Excessive breaking is SMOKE COMING FROM YOUR TIRES plain and simple. End of story no warning no second chance.

This makes the rule very clear. I have watched too many stock/superstock and super class racers over the years smoke the tires at the finish line and almost wreck or come close to being out of control and nothing be done about it

It’s only a matter of time until someone wrecks some else and severally hurts or kills someone because of their poor driving habits.
Accident and mistakes happen which is what appears to have happened in this case, but this rule need to be much clear and the same for each division. If this incident happened in Div 4 or 5 would he have just gotten a warning or would they have tossed him?

[Rich Biebel]

A shifter that can be put into reverse with one hand always seemed to me to be more easily accidently shifted in to reverse....

My good friend did exactly that and totaled his car.

His throttle stuck at the finishline at over 150 and he panicked and moved the shifter to reverse trying to neutral it. One hand was all that was needed to shift to reverse.....

He Did not have a safety style valve body as most of us do today and his rear wheels locked up instantly and he went around and over...

My own car requires 2 hands to put it in reverse....

[X-TECH MAN]

GIVE IT A REST ! Its over, done deal !