NHRA Tether Rule Update

[jmcarter]

Originally Posted by 63corvette

I did get a very nice email back from NHRA refusing my submission for the tethers submitted last week.
At least they did answer my email and submission.
Below is the email.
Rick Cates

Hello Rick,

I am the right person to contact regarding the upcoming 2014 tether regulation.

I understand your concern with the current list of approved header collector tether manufactures, however I would like to indicate that we have recently received several additional submittals from manufactures to accept their tethers for use. Therefore the manufacturers, type, and cost will be changing soon. We cannot accept requests from individuals for one off tethers , due to the number of requests we would receive which would inundate our resources as well as make it very difficult to regulate in the field. If you would like to work with a manufacturer to market your idea, we would be glad to review their request for potential approval. The NHRA Technical Department will also accept a minimum ½” (half inch) stich weld located each primary tube as an alternative to the tethering system.

I hope you understand the reasoning behind our need to only accept Header Collector tethering systems from manufacturers willing to distribute NHRA accepted tethers. Furthermore, please watch www.nhraracer.com for additional accepted tether manufactures.


Best Regards,

Tim White
NHRA
Director of Engineering
10267 East US Hwy 136
Indianapolis, IN 46234
Office (317)387-7361
FAX (317) ) 291-4220

NHRA Plainband.gif
For further NHRA Racer information please visit www.NHRARacer.com

Great that they responded...hopefully they gave Mark Lelchook some formal feedback on the alternative solution he discussed with them at Indy this year. I don't think this whole deal has anything to do subterfuge or under the table dealings, just an Engineering group working with a liability-adverse bunch of bureaucrats and the corresponding absence of common sense approaches. This will hopefully result in a reasonable cost solution. On my chassis car (yea, I know our classes are a different animal) I initially balked at diapers but when I dealt with Diaperman and put his on I quickly recognized I was getting a good value that increased safety.

[chris ok]

Is there a possibility the NHRA's insurance company is requesting these after someone hearing of an accident or injury happening somewhere at some track?
I sure do understand if you can weld a roll bar, this would be a piece of cake to make. you guys have shown some nice designs on this thread.

[Bernie Cunningham]

OK, it seems it ain't going away, (can't believe it made it this far, SHRA?) but I have got to get an answer with this question ---- ' if you have an approved tether system and somehow, somewhere, blackhole, planets aligned wrong or whatever and ya **** breaks free and does some damage i.e still hits somebody or something, WILL NHRA take responsibility cause they approved it??

how does that work when **** goes wrong in the oiler classes ? they must have more 'approved parts' then us ???

inquiring minds need to know!

[Jim Wahl]

Originally Posted by Bernie Cunningham

OK, it seems it ain't going away, (can't believe it made it this far, SHRA?) but I have got to get an answer with this question ---- ' if you have an approved tether system and somehow, somewhere, blackhole, planets aligned wrong or whatever and ya **** breaks free and does some damage i.e still hits somebody or something, WILL NHRA take responsibility cause they approved it??

how does that work when **** goes wrong in the oiler classes ? they must have more 'approved parts' then us ???

inquiring minds need to know!

A great question that needs to be answered! They still haven't answered why we can put in our own roll bar and submit them to tech but we are not capable of putting some clamps and cables on our headers and have them teched for approval! I disagree with you Jim Carter, this fact shouts kickback real loud! Jim

" The NHRA Technical Department will also accept a minimum ½” (half inch) stich weld located each primary tube as an alternative to the tethering system."

Don't insult our intelligence with this BS response! Weld my headers onto the car? Only a moron with no knowledge of race cars would suggest this!


.

[Jeff Lee]

Originally Posted by Jim Wahl

A great question that needs to be answered! They still haven't answered why we can put in our own roll bar and submit them to tech but we are not capable of putting some clamps and cables on our headers and have them teched for approval! I disagree with you Jim Carter, this fact shouts kickback real loud! Jim

" The NHRA Technical Department will also accept a minimum ½” (half inch) stich weld located each primary tube as an alternative to the tethering system."

Don't insult our intelligence with this BS response! Weld my headers onto the car? Only a moron with no knowledge of race cars would suggest this!


.

And your suggesting that is not possible?

[Exhausted]

Originally Posted by Jim Wahl

A great question that needs to be answered! They still haven't answered why we can put in our own roll bar and submit them to tech but we are not capable of putting some clamps and cables on our headers and have them teched for approval! I disagree with you Jim Carter, this fact shouts kickback real loud! Jim

" The NHRA Technical Department will also accept a minimum ½” (half inch) stich weld located each primary tube as an alternative to the tethering system."

Don't insult our intelligence with this BS response! Weld my headers onto the car? Only a moron with no knowledge of race cars would suggest this!


.

This is the craziest part of this rule. "stitch" welding collectors onto primary tubes, (which only a desperate idiot would do) is in no way a permanent solution. It is not a long amount of time before those welds will crack and is Not a solution at all.

They should also change the "bolt" ruling to say that each tube that goes into a collector have its own bolt and brackets, this would allow for differences with 421 type headers verses 4into1 headers. I understand the ruling is 4 bolts per collector, referring to a normal 4into1 collector?

I am not aware of any foolproof way of keeping headers intact besides a regular maintenance inspection of hardware as it is subject to intense vibration and will fail given enough time. NHRA guys are not going to get under every car and make sure that even their "bolted" retaining devices are still intact.

The whole thing is obviously a attempt to limit exposure to lawsuits and throw them off onto manufacturers instead of those organizations who don't or can't inspect cars they let run on their track or work to protect their "customers" from being hurt at their events.

[Randall Klein]

My Nomad has fender well headers, very obvious to tech, I'm curious how tech will go checking low-to-the-ground Colbalts, etc with headers tucked well under the frame.....our SS/MA '57 needs a trans blanket and never once has tech knelt down and looked.....I suppose some might be visible from engine compartment

[novassdude]

Originally Posted by Jim Wahl

A great question that needs to be answered! They still haven't answered why we can put in our own roll bar and submit them to tech but we are not capable of putting some clamps and cables on our headers and have them teched for approval! I disagree with you Jim Carter, this fact shouts kickback real loud! Jim

" The NHRA Technical Department will also accept a minimum ½” (half inch) stich weld located each primary tube as an alternative to the tethering system."

Don't insult our intelligence with this BS response! Weld my headers onto the car? Only a moron with no knowledge of race cars would suggest this!


.

Jim Please don't give NHRA any more ideas. Next you will have to take it to an NHRA accepted shop to have any work done on your car.

[Ed Wright]

Originally Posted by Jim Wahl

A great question that needs to be answered! They still haven't answered why we can put in our own roll bar and submit them to tech but we are not capable of putting some clamps and cables on our headers and have them teched for approval! I disagree with you Jim Carter, this fact shouts kickback real loud! Jim

" The NHRA Technical Department will also accept a minimum ½” (half inch) stich weld located each primary tube as an alternative to the tethering system."

Don't insult our intelligence with this BS response! Weld my headers onto the car? Only a moron with no knowledge of race cars would suggest this!


.

Jim, I have to wonder how you got "weld my headers onto the car" out if that?

[Jeff Lee]

Ed,
Many race cars require disassembly of the headers to get them on & off the car. Heck, you can't even change the starter on my car without taking the collector off and loosening the flange bolts up @ the head. Stitch weld them up and they are on the car until you take a sawzall to the headers!