NHRA Tether Rule Update

[treessavoy]

All this Bull S**t over a non-problem, incredible!

JimR

[Dinsdale]

Originally Posted by treessavoy

all this bull s**t over a non-problem, incredible!

Jimr

exactly...............

[David Lee]

just another way fo for the NHRA to extort money from manufacturers and racers,

[Crew Chief]

I hear this mandate came down from NHRA's legal department after an incident where someone was hit by a collector that came off in the water box. If that's the case, they would want legitimate companies making the tethers because liability would then fall back on the manufacturer in a lawsuit.

[SSGT Mustang]

Originally Posted by Crew Chief

I hear this mandate came down from NHRA's legal department after an incident where someone was hit by a collector that came off in the water box. If that's the case, they would want legitimate companies making the tethers because liability would then fall back on the manufacturer in a lawsuit.

I heard that too. But don't know how they can try to sell that explanation with a straight face when they promote fuel cars that explode and send shrapnel everywhere, including whole funny car bodies, at least a few times every year. You see cars losing their hood or hood scoop, nitrous backfires, lost blower belts, broken rear ends. The list goes on and on. I've seen each of those examples more than once, but never a lost collector.

I like going into the fuel pits to see and hear the cars fire up before their run, but always stand about 20 feet back because I'm just waiting for one of those things to blow up with everyone around it. I can't believe that it hasn't happened yet.

Nevertheless, the collector rule, no matter how they try to spin it, just seems like a poorly thought out "solution" to an almost non-existent problem. It's a sign of an incompetent bureaucracy at its best or worst, I can't decide.

Hell, if they expect tech to look under every car for approved tethers, then surely they can require them to look underneath cars for a properly fabricated tether made by the average racer. It's not brain surgery to make a pair of these things.

[astikhossw]

Aristophanes ????

[gsa612]

Originally Posted by Crew Chief

I hear this mandate came down from NHRA's legal department after an incident where someone was hit by a collector that came off in the water box. If that's the case, they would want legitimate companies making the tethers because liability would then fall back on the manufacturer in a lawsuit.

In this incident how was the collector secured?, did it have mounting tabs, were the bolts and lock nuts there?.Were they stainless with the spring mounting deal?. I cannot see how the collector can come off, if you have 2 tabs welded on 2 pri. pipes and 2 on the collector secured with 1/4 bolts and steel lock nuts.Unless the pri. pipes or collector are so badly rusted and blow through.In that case the pri. pipe can blow before the pri. clamp on the tether rendering it useless.This deal is an insult to a racers intelligence by NHRA!.

[Jody Lang]

Rust, loose bolts, no bolts it doesn't much matter. Fact is that exhaust pieces have fallen off during burnouts and down track.

In one case it was during the burnout and the piece came back and broke a leg.

One question I have is... Why SFI on collector tether, but no SFI requirement for ladder bar tether???

We should be able to piece together our own system.

[Richard Grant]

This problem seems to have a much simpler solution than spending $200 for a special NHRA approved tether when a proper inspection of the use of tabs and lock nuts would accomplish the same result.

[Charlene Gullett]

Isn't that why we sign that 1000 word waiver? Anything can come flying at you if you are standing on the starting line.
A couple of years ago I had a connecting rod cap shoot out from under a stocker and whack my in the leg-no broken bones, just a nasty bruise. This spring in Vegas an open rear wheel roadster came out of the burnout box ( I was in front of this car) and a rock shot overtop of the rear wheel towards the starting line and hit me square in the center of the forehead. That was an attention getter. You cannot tether everything on these cars. I believe if you are standing on the starting line you better pay attention-this is a high risk area. if you stand there with the deer in the headlights look, you may get injured.