Another Racer Killed at E-Town

[njk53]

At 250 mph and the chutes don't deploy how much more shut down area will be needed? Maybe the NHRA needs to asess the tracks with short shut down areas and go 1000 feet like TF and FC. I don't know if Englishtown has the room to extend their shut down area. I think that road on the high end prevents them from doing so.

[Rusty2211]

Skydivers have backup chutes. How much trouble would it be to outfit these cars with additional, backup chutes? I also do not think it'd be hard to build more fire protection around the chute container either. I think some of the accidents that have happened may be caused by unconcious drivers. How about a system that automatically deploys past a certain point? I know the gentlemen that passed away at Commerce 2 years ago never lifted and even though the blower poped at the stripe, he still hit the trees hard enough to be thrown from the car.

I noticed several TAFC teams at Chicago letting kids pack the chutes on the cars. That just seems crazy. If I was driving one of these cars, I'd have to pack and inspect my own chutes.

Rusty

[Carl Juliano]

A quick measurement using Google Earth shows E-Towns shutdown @ 2230' to the edge of the sand. Maple Grove is approx 2175' to Kachel Rd, then about 270'more across the road (2445 total). The real concern here is the "catch/containment systems" being used.
This was a case of a "runaway car" under full throttle w/no chutes or brakes, a longer shutdown in this case will allow the car to gain more momentum, another 4-500ft will not make a difference.
The containment system at E-Town did just that.....the car stayed "contained" in the facility and didnt go into the trees, or onto Pension Rd.
I think more research in the "catch systems" must be done to lessen the "hit" so drivers have a better chance to survive something like this. Just my opinion.

[Dave Casey]

I don't think that this is an Englishtown problem,I don't think it is short at all. Personally I thought that the shutdown was as long or longer than most of the tracks I have raced at. I walked the shutdown area a year or 2 ago.

Looking at the news photo, I was very surprised that the racer died. The cage looked intact.they obviously clipped the top off to get him out.

I believe the situation with Scott was differant in that he hit an obstacle in the shutdown area that is no longer there.

We are racing and it can be dangerous. There are so many things that can happen that there is no way of insuring total safety for every situation. sad but reality.

My thoughts and prayers to the family and friends

[Carl Juliano]

Originally Posted by Dave Casey

I don't think that this is an Englishtown problem,I don't think it is short at all. Personally I thought that the shutdown was as long or longer than most of the tracks I have raced at. I walked the shutdown area a year or 2 ago.

Looking at the news photo, I was very surprised that the racer died. The cage looked intact.they obviously clipped the top off to get him out.

I believe the situation with Scott was differant in that he hit an obstacle in the shutdown area that is no longer there.

We are racing and it can be dangerous. There are so many things that can happen that there is no way of insuring total safety for every situation. sad but reality.

My thoughts and prayers to the family and friends

Exactly my point Dave, I agree. I think alot of guys are forgetting the fact that this car was a "runaway", and not "coasting with no chutes". I think any National event track would have had their hands full containing such a vehicle.

[rayfin]

I was wondering why the chute just fell off of the one car and the roll cage was completely "broken" off the other car?

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by rayfin

I was wondering why the chute just fell off of the one car and the roll cage was completely "broken" off the other car?

I do not know why the chutes came off of the car last year, nor why the brakes failed.

I'm pretty sure they cut the cage off of the top of Neil Parker's car. That is standard operating procedure for removing an injured person from a wrecked race car. It's actually SOP for removing injured persons from most any wrecked car. The first concern for emergency personnel is to get the injured person out without causing further injury. If you take them out the top, you can do a better job of keeping the spine aligned. If you have to turn them and lay them over, odds are if there is a spinal injury, you'll make it worse.


It is interesting to note that the car that crashed last year lost its chutes, and reportedly lost its brakes, yet it went through both nets, but the second net was still holding the car somewhat, and the tire barrier stopped it. In the crash this year, the car evidently, from the photos, went through the tire barrier, and was a good distance past the tire barrier. It would appear that this year's crash was at a much higher speed.

[Mike Carr]

I believe, in the Alexis Dejoria accident in 2009, when the 'chutes ripped off, they tore the brake lines too.

[Alan Roehrich]

It probably is time, and a good idea, for NHRA to look at taking some power away from the fuel cars, as they've far exceeded the design parameters of the tracks, and some of the parts they're using. Some of the older, more experienced crew chiefs have been saying that quietly for years.

If they simply took 50 cubic inches away, limited compression, and restricted blower speed, they could take 1000HP or more easily. For the cost of new pistons, new cranks, and new blower pulleys. The result would be the ability to return to 1/4 mile racing, less expense for the teams, and less time and money wasted on oil downs and fires.

The use of tailhook arrester gear on race cars probably isn't too practical. An entire new structure would be required for the back of the cars, requiring a whole new level of engineering. And it should be noted that these cars are not designed to be pulled or stretched, it might be necessary to redesign the whole frame to withstand the forces acting on them from stopping them abruptly by hooking the back of the car. Otherwise, it rips the back of the car off, and then catapults it further down track. Pulling cars apart is not a good idea. Further, even the best carrier pilots jump the wire, so there's no sure way to make sure the cars catch the wire, if the car doesn't catch the wire, the system is useless.

Perhaps a better idea is to use the braking technology from arrester gear on an improved catch net. The cars are designed to protect the driver from a front end crash, so the net shouldn't require massive changes to the cars. A stronger net, designed to actually capture the car, coupled to a braking system might do the trick. It's not going to tear the cars up any worse than the current system, either.

A longer sand/gravel pit, starting sooner, might be another improvement. Starting the pit earlier, and making the entrance less aggressive, might help stop the cars from skipping over it, as well as giving them more time to slow down gradually. It would also stop the slower cars less abruptly, with less damage and less chance of serious injury. It would allow an extra net or two as well. If we had two regular nets, possibly somewhat stronger, and better mounted, that would slow the cars more gradually, and stop some cars completely. Then, with a third net, with arrester gear style braking, as a final fail safe, you have a system for the fastest runaway cars.

[W J]

Just wondering if possibly Neal suffered a heart attack or some sort of consiousness loss to not pull his chute....maybe we'll find out, maybe not....Dave C., did you ever feel close to running out of real estate after a pass at Lebanon Valley?.....although shutdown is listed as 2600 feet, after seeing more than a few close calls there over the years, it always concerned me just a little.....WJ