Re: Scary Moments in Your Racing Career?
 

I ran my super-gas car in super-street for a few races because I let my license expire.
To make weight I put 300lbs of ballast in the back of the car. No problem running with a throttle stop because it was set to come on just off the line.
I took the car to Bakersfield to run a Good-Guys event and I had to take all of the electronics out of the car to be legal.
I wasn't thinking about the weight when I left the line with no throttle stop.
It seems that it carried the front wheels just off the ground for quite a ways, unfortunately I was headed toward the other lane. No problem, just steer it back into the groove, uh still going right maybe a little more steering input, just about in the other lane now, front wheels touch down, oh oh now it steers, heading straight for the wall, now the other lane, now wall again.
Used up both lanes but kept it off the wall.
Note for log book: move ballast weight to appropriate location.

Re: Scary Moments in Your Racing Career?
 

I have enjoyed reading your stories, but not one of you have this one. I was in my third season of junior drag racing, and was getting finishline driving advice from a veteran bracket racer. So I busted the tree, and while I was tightning up the stripe with a competitor, I locked the brakes up and spun the junior nose first into the wall. Only 15 years ago now.

A few years later, while qualifying for Jegs Quick 32 race at Windy Hollow in Owensboro, KY, I was paired with a blown 4.50 dragster. Luckily, he was a good piece out front when crossed the finishline, locked up the brakes, and spun around in front me, crashing into the wall. Its a short track, and he didn't pull the pins out of his parachutes. Idiot.

Then, in dads Chevy II, we got in a hurry fueling up the car, left the cap off the cell, (cell in front of the motor for alcohol) and then decided to ignite about 100ft out causing the hood to melt. Its a small track, bad safety equipment, no one was in sight while the car was on fire.

And then, according to Bruce Noland, my dad wrecked his stocker this year into Brian Rogers during rd 2 at Beech Bend LODRS. Ha ha, seriously,dad was hit past the finishline by an over braking racer. Rebuild in process.

Re: Scary Moments in Your Racing Career?
 

7 years ago my father in law leo belanger passed away.he had a high nine second monza and a low 11 second vega his daughter drove.we sold the vega
and put her in the monza.that was his plan anyway!first time in the car,she gets down to 4 cars at orlando and they split the money.the next time out the car gets
sideways at the 1000 ft and hits the wall head on and barrel rolls across the finish line and lands on its side over the guard rail she climbed out through the
windshield opening unhurt,crying because she ruined her dads car.it was unsavable.she doesnt want another car but races mine sometimes,been to late rounds and a final. Scott

Re: Scary Moments in Your Racing Career?
 

In 1979 I put a LT-1 in my 76 monte carlo. so my brother and i wanted to see how this car would run, so we took it on this road doing about a 100 mph when all of a sudden this lady ( in a vega ) pull out her driveway into my lane...I hit the brakes and my car went sideways past the vega ( which was doing about 25 mph )... we did 2 360's and came to a stop in opposite lane about 40 feet away from a loaded gasoline tanker who saw us out of control and locked em up,,,lucky is an understatement...Luke Awdish

Re: Scary Moments in Your Racing Career?
 

right after my divorce, I had won first round of the first race at my local bracket race (that was a first after 5 years of trying), I had just picked up my time slip and was headed back to the trailer when some dumb ***** kid in a Ford Escort plowed into the front of my car. I had just put a new subframe in there over the winter, all i could hope for is that he didn't damage it. The next day while I was putting the roof on the trailer I was building, I had stepped off the ladder on to a 2x4 that wasn't there before I climbed up it and broke my leg. So now I have a wrecked racecar and a broke leg, all after the first race of the year.

In 08 at the divisional at HRP Iwas working turnaround at the last one when a Top Dragster came around the corner with no parachute and no brakes. I didn't know where he was going and he didn't know where I was running. He ended up in the field at the end of the track and NHRA d/q'ed him. Fortunately he didn't hit anything but the grass and fuel shutoff.

Re: Scary Moments in Your Racing Career?
 

I think it was 1980. I was in a Stk/SS Combo Elim at New England Dragway. Just when I went through the lights at the top end, I heard a "pop!" and the car veered to the left. I fought it and kept it in the lane. I pulled over on the return road to check it out. I had blown my left front tire. Luckily, I had filled both my front tires with that "slime" sealant. I had sealant all over the left side of the car and the wheel well but it eventually held although the pressure dropped to about 10 lbs. I refilled the tire in the pits and I was able to complete the Eliminator.

On another occasion, also running Stk/SS Combo at New England Dragway, I was in the staging lanes. Our lane got called and we all started moving. I was distracted by something and the next thing I know, I rear-ended the car in front of me. A beautiful yellow and white '55 Chevy SS/PA. That scared the hell out of me. I thought there was going to be a fight in the staging lanes. Luckily, there was no damage to either car (although I'm sure the other driver -no names- thought I was an a@@hole!).

Re: Scary Moments in Your Racing Career?
 

cool thread...

had my own fuel cell experience... left it off during a "let's have dinner during the oildown" experience, proceeded to launch into a pretty steep wheelstand in a 243" wb Top Dragtser... just about ready to whimp out and pull out of the throttle when the open fuel cell sloshed fuel out, it's drawn through the radiator and vaporizes on the engine in a huge, John-Force style fireball... car slammed down to the ground and burned for awhile 'til the boys hit it with the extinguishers... my S/SS buddies at Grand Bend helped us rewire things overnight, and we ran the next day...

luck ran out two months ago at the Dutch with the same Top Dragster... 197 mph and no brakes -- the caliper mount broke, spun around and ripped the brake line in half... the jury is still out as to whether or not the gates were open to the sand pit (my competitor said no...), but it didn't matter much as I thought I could make it around the big sweeping turn at Maple Grove onto the return road... car flipped over onto its side halfway around the corner and I did a hard slide into the chain link fence... thankfully, it ran right in on the wing and rear slick/wheel, which slowed it down enough that I walked away untouched. Of course, I did a reverse swan dive coming down the motorhome steps the next day and about killed myself...

s

Re: Scary Moments in Your Racing Career?
 

About 15 years ago I was bracket racing at US-131 dragway in Martin, Mich. I was making a time run against a car that was roughly 1-2 seconds quicker than mine. As we approach the finish line, I see what appears to be a long piece of chrome fly off of his car. It hits the track and bounces about 20' into the air, right in front of my car as I'm going about 115 MPH. Luckily, it bounces toward the guard rail. I later found out that he had just changed his Pitman arm and had left the wrench, a very large combination end wrench, laying on the radiator support!

Re: Scary Moments in Your Racing Career?
 

Well if anybody ever seen me in my roadster, EVERY run was scary, lol
The worst was one weekend at National Trails Raceway when they use to run the Fall Classic in late October. It was qualifying for the Quick 32, and it was misting a little bit, well Clark Rader (yes that’s how long ago this was) told us all either race or go home, he was running a race. Well being young and still brave at that time i was going to race, the car was set up to go fast (9 teens) when i left the line the car started skating from the get go, right pass the tree it got up on 2 wheels and headed for the right guard rail. In the mean time while crossing lanes the racer (yes i was in left lane, lol) in the right lane just got past me as I was coming over. At that time and I know who ever that has crashed or spun out, ect. Knows this, you have so much time it seems like before things happen. I looked over the guard rail and there was both of my parents standing in the hot car lanes (those are the lanes in front of bleachers at trails still today) they was looking at me and at the last second I grabbed the wheel and yanked it hard left and somehow I didn’t touch a thing on the car. Clark called me to the tower and wanted me to park the car but I did prove to him on next run it was still drivable.
That’s just one of my scary moments, lol

Here is a shot from other one:
http://thumb5.webshots.net/t/50/650/...5VqJITG_th.jpg

Re: Scary Moments in Your Racing Career?
 

Joe why was the hood scoop plug still in?