Another Racer Killed at E-Town

[Jim B]

Alan has pretty much summarized the variance in stopping the different vehicles and speeds that come into play. The bottom line on a 200+ mph pass is if the chutes don't deploy, blossom and stay attached to the car, you're going off the end hard. A brake failure in a 125 - 160 mph vehicle has a much different requirement to stop when leaving the pavement at the end. I remember going off the end at the old Pocono Drag Lodge in Pennsylvania and coming to a stop safely. The end of the shutdown area ran up the side of a mountain and was very effective for all types of vehicles. Granted the trap speeds were sub 250 mph but that was the most effective system I've seen. Unfortunately, it's not practical to retrofit an uphill runoff road to most existing facilities. The bottom line requirement lies with the sanctioning bodies. The only solution I could think of offhand would be a tailhook (aircraft carrier type) stopping reel at the very end for the faster cars. That's not as easy or simple as it sounds because the catch hook device would have to be standarized in the chassis construction and the cable reel device would require active operation by a track end crew. Car weight, speed, etc. would have to be taken into consideration to set the takeup reel drag. Existing runoffs would be maintained and used for slower vehicles (maybe 150mph and down) and the cable catch system activated for passes by the faster cars. Or unfortunately, a few deaths per year in a dangerous sport will be considered collateral damage. Time will tell. Heartfelt condolences to the family....

[hemidup]

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

Eliminate the screw blowers and limit blower size and overdrive. Make a rule change for a 400 inch max. engine size in Alcohol AND Nitro. Cut the nitro percentage (50% is a start), blower size, Overdrive, and number of fuel pumps in Top Fool and Nitro Ha Ha cars would be a start. In other words.....slow the damn things down with rule changes! I dont think Englishtown (and others) has the room to make the track longer. Remember when WJ ended out on the main road with his Pro Stocker several years ago and he sure wasnt as fast as the nitro and alcohol cars. 1000 ft sucks and 1/8 mile racing would suck to for a national event.

I say they should eliminate E-Town from the circut and get back to racing 1320'. With the dangerous E-Town track in the mix, pretty soon the Pro's at all tracks will have to run to the 660'. Than to the 330', than to the 60', than nothing.

[Alan Roehrich]

E-town is not the only track with a short shutdown area. It just happens they've had a few incidents recently.

Be careful what you wish for with regards to eliminating race tracks. They get eliminated quickly enough as it is.

[hemidup]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

E-town is not the only track with a short shutdown area. It just happens they've had a few incidents recently.

Be careful what you wish for with regards to eliminating race tracks. They get eliminated quickly enough as it is.

E-Town has had a few deaths recently. Whats wrong with that picture?.... I hear you Alan about tracks that are eliminated from the circut, plus the many tracks accross the country that have just plane shut down and have closed. Today the closest tracks I have are 2 hours away. The best ones are 4 hours away. I grew up and raced between 2 tracks that were within 10 minutes of the house. Minnesota Dragways was located next to a RR track. The train still runs, the drag strip is long gone.

[FINESPLINE]

Well, if all else fails for Englishtown, there is 1/8 mile racing. I have a friend from the tri state area here and he owns a track in the Carolinas and he tried to push more for the 1/4 mile racing but after talking with the racers themselves -- they love the 1/8 mile racing. They claim the racing is just as competitive and is easier on the engines. And they do run some fast machinery . I just believe it would be a hard sell up here as people do not take easy to change. Just throwing it out there if it is a matter of survival both for the track and the racers.

[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.