Excessive Breaking?

[Don Kennedy]

Originally Posted by Ed Carpenter

Ask my good friend Ashton Hudson about his life flight trip to a trauma center in Dallas after hitting the brakes. Car was totaled. Now he holds it wide open and rides the brake if necessary. No slamming the brakes. I've seen two cars cross lanes at the finish line slamming the brakes against each other. All I know is if someone slams the brakes against me and wipes my car out they better hope I die in the crash.......thats all ill say...

Why if a Person wants to Know the rest of the story ask Emmons what happened ,Then no hearsay Just saying

[Carguy49]

There has been a mention of NHRA putting it in writing.

NHRA 2015 Rulebook - - Race Procedures - Section 2 page 8 Disqualifications states - Anytime it has been judged that excessive braking has resulted in loss of control that resullts in contact with the guardwall and/or light fixtures or crossing the center boundary line, INCLUDING PAST THE FINISH LINE, the contestant will be disqualified.

There is a little more, but this pretty much sums it up.

[Jeff Stout]

Originally Posted by Carguy49

There has been a mention of NHRA putting it in writing.

NHRA 2015 Rulebook - - Race Procedures - Section 2 page 8 Disqualifications states - Anytime it has been judged that excessive braking has resulted in loss of control that resullts in contact with the guardwall and/or light fixtures or crossing the center boundary line, INCLUDING PAST THE FINISH LINE, the contestant will be disqualified.

There is a little more, but this pretty much sums it up.

Hopefully the rest of the rule addresses smoking of tires.

[Bob Mulry]

Originally Posted by Carguy49

There has been a mention of NHRA putting it in writing.

NHRA 2015 Rulebook - - Race Procedures - Section 2 page 8 Disqualifications states - Anytime it has been judged that excessive braking has resulted in loss of control that resullts in contact with the guardwall and/or light fixtures or crossing the center boundary line, INCLUDING PAST THE FINISH LINE, the contestant will be disqualified.

There is a little more, but this pretty much sums it up.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

This is a cut & paste from the 2017 NHRA Rulebook:

Anytime it
has been judged that excessive braking has resulted in loss of
control that results in contact with the guardwall and/or light
fixtures or crossing the center boundary lines, INCLUDING
PAST THE FINISH LINE, the contestant will be disqualified
Contact with guardwall, barriers, or any other track fixture
(rubber cones, when used, are considered visual aids, not
fixtures) is grounds for disqualification and/or other actions.
Intentional crossing of boundary lines to leave track or avoid
depositing debris on track is not grounds for disqualification

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +

Did he violate any provision of this rule??????

I watched the video and he doesn't appear to have....

Write a rule and enforce that rule....

and if you notice there is no mention of smoke from the tires being a disqualification....

I don't believe that this rule sums up anything with regard to the Emmons D/Q

[Carguy49]

Jeff - Nothing about smoking the tires.

Bob - By summing it up I meant that the rule is pretty plain and should be enforced equally.

As far as the Emmons incident, I wasn't there but sounds like he got screwed.

[Super Sport]

Maybe this incident will make racers rethink wanting to go race out west.

[Jeff Stout]

The way this rule is written it leaves an open still for interpetation and a out for NHRA in judgement calls. More black and white please.

By this rule Jerry Emmons passed.

[Greg Gay]

I support the current rule as written, and as was previously enforced.

[Ron Ortiz]

According to the rule you can be sideways in your lane with smoke coming off the fronts as long as you don't hit a fixture or wall or center line, it is deemed permissible. I know that if a driver is just being stupid there is a rule under safety that over rides all rules. But if a person has control it should not be a violation, according to the rule. If a driver was warned to be more cautious, and he /she does so, then there is no violation. It appears that the car in question had control, probably better than what he was warned about previously. If his actions and control at the time of incident is what got him DQ then there probably be at least 30% of the field getting DQ at the next event.
If the starter is the person making the decision for a top end mishap or violation then we have a problem as his view is limited. That is why officials at the finish line should make the call. They probably do, but we have not been informed as such.
It is NHRA's decision to clarify the rule a little better than the current one. I'll bet their insurance carrier will have a voice in it.
My personal view is that if the fronts have smoke, DQ. Sorry, but I had to look at it from common sense. If you are holding that much, use it wisely.

Ron Ortiz
U/SA more fun just easing the brake

[Eric Merryfield]

Originally Posted by Greg Gay

I support the current rule as written, and as was previously enforced.

Absolutely the rules are pretty clear. That thing on the left is there to tighten that .01-.015, now when guys try and scrub a .10 in the last 60 feet, well that's when drama happens. Work on the dial!

If you are going to brake hard, practice at a track rental day when its safe, and your alone on the track. If you video it, then you can see what the effect is and if you are within the rules, and common sense.

The loss of control and the entering into the unforgettable "pre-crash" slowdown of time is best to be avoided, as sometimes you and car get lucky and get away unscathed, sometimes you walk away and your car takes the pain, and sometimes you don't get to walk away.

That said, who doesn't like to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat at the stripe. Just use your head!

Eric