What caused V. Gaines to crash @ Carolina Nats?

[jmcarter]

Originally Posted by Troy Pourciau

According to NHRA officials, problems with the racing surface at zMax Dragway – coupled with a brief shower that drenched the track and sent spectators racing for cover – prompted them to call off competition for the day.

However, two drivers told the Observer that those problems, along with low track temperatures – in the high 80s, compared with 110-plus degrees earlier in the week – were responsible for driver Vieri “V” Gaines wrecking his Pro Stock car during an elimination-round race against Allen Johnson.

While Gaines walked away from the wreck, it caused an hour-long delay as workers attempted to correct the problems. The 20-minute shower then made that work moot and moved NHRA officials to consider alternatives.


Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/201...#storylink=cpy

forget it....

[Sean Marconette]

If you watched the coverage on ESPN it was pretty clear there was a problem with the first pair of PS cars. Jason was clearly upset and had no BS comments when interviewed at the tail end of the broadcast. The track clearly has issues that needs resolved.

[John Kissel]

Maybe if that track got used more it would be in better shape. How you can justify having it sit fallow for so long and be paying property taxes on it doesn't make cents.You mean to tell me there aren't any racers near by who would love it for a local track? John Kissel

[Bryan Worner]

I feel NHRA really dropped the ball here! First off, why were the Pro stock cars the only ones having problems? I didn't see any of the top fuel or funny cars having issues, other than blowing up! Maybe several oil downs by the fuelers caused the tricky conditions? Maybe the lack of downforce on pro stock cars, coupled with severely better conditions on Sunday were a factor. My car was a tenth faster Sunday than all weekend. I adjusted.

When the rain stopped, they shouldve had the track dryers out there and finished the sportsman. I looked at the track about 2 hours after it quit raining and it was all but dry. They cancelled the racing at 3pm and could run until 1 am, according to Sunday curfews. Who made this decision and why? I have yet to see or hear any evidence that the track was the problem.

[novassdude]

We all know it takes a much different track prep for Nitro and everyone else. So with two tracks you would think at least at this race you could make everyone happy and use both tracks and the proper track prep on each. Problem is that would make sense and we can be having that at a NHRA race.

[Brett C]

Downforce

[RonnieSiani]

On Friday the Track crews were working in lane 1 in the area of 660' for over 30 min. But the announcements were they were scraping the track because of the rain. That maybe true but they were also repair the surface.

[GarysZ24]

I agree with the racer who felt it's a lack of track prep (primarily not treating the last 320ft of the race surface like they did the first 1000ft)! That was an issue this year here in Phoenix, which caused some Pro Stockers to get loose here (as well as a Super Gas car to roll at the national event)?

I'm glad just glad that V. Gaines didn't get hurt, but I hope that NHRA will re-run the whole Pro Stock field, because as much as I'm more of a Jeg Coughlin Jr. fan, than a Greg Anderson fan, Greg had a chance to possibly win that first round race against Jeg, until he past the 1000ft mark and got a bit loose himself (in the same lane V. was in), which allowed Jeg to get back around him for the win. I wonder what the incrementals said about the race, because they were neck and neck until then....