Funny Car Cages....Safe or not?

Wade Mahaffey · 08-21-2014, 11:11 AM

I have been preaching to folks for years. The Dragster/Funny Car cage is probably responsible for more head injuries and/or deaths than any other part of the race car. The reason is that it's proximity to the drivers head is just a few inches, and being strapped into that tight location keeps your head in between 6 bars to bounce off of! In NASCAR, there are no bars anywhere close to the drivers head. They contain the drivers head as part of the seat construction (which is heavily padded and will give or flex if impacted by the driver. Look at it like this...your head hitting that bar, is like someone with that bar hitting you in the head...NOT GOOD either way.

In my opinion, a horizontal 3-4 inch wide padded band should go from the front bar around behind the drivers head and back out to the front bar on the other side. Kinda like what you see in a NASCAR seat. It could be mounted as such to allow the drivers line of vision just over the top of the pad

Wade Mahaffey

Keith 944 · 08-21-2014, 04:45 PM

what would be your answer to this Wade? maybe a drawing of said cage... I agree, it looks like you are getting struck in the head with a baseball bat. like someone mentioned on the stock side, drivers are going to do whatever they have too to see better and supposedly get an advantage. this guy looks like he had way too much room in there and belts prob. not as tight as possible either. must not be much padding either. I can see the funny car type padding in a funny car, top fuel, and pro stock where it is first to finish. their heads look like they couldn't move if they wanted too. but in most classes, unless your always the faster car, it is just not liked. personally I am just too slow to need the f/c cage and I like it that way. we all feel safe until we need it lol. btw. how did this person make out? was he/she ok?

Wade Mahaffey · 08-21-2014, 09:19 PM

Did not hear anything on the medical status.

Carl Juliano · 08-23-2014, 06:05 PM

A lot of Pro Mod drivers are using ISPs Lateral Head Supports. They have been around for a couple of years now.

http://www.ispseats.com/id100.html

arrow990 · 08-28-2014, 09:37 AM

The picture is of Don Kritsky from Brainerd. I believe he broke his leg, hip and pelvis. He is at home, and I believe in traction.

HolcombS/G155G · 08-30-2014, 09:51 AM

My personal opinion is that its not the cage, Its the driver in the cage who takes it upon themselves to not tighten up their belts the way they're supposed to be. When I strap into my dragster or my door car (both have funny car cages) my belts are tight. Neck restraints help with that too.

08-21-2014, 11:11 AM	#1
Wade Mahaffey Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 581 Likes: 0 Liked 17 Times in 7 Posts	Funny Car Cages....Safe or not? I have been preaching to folks for years. The Dragster/Funny Car cage is probably responsible for more head injuries and/or deaths than any other part of the race car. The reason is that it's proximity to the drivers head is just a few inches, and being strapped into that tight location keeps your head in between 6 bars to bounce off of! In NASCAR, there are no bars anywhere close to the drivers head. They contain the drivers head as part of the seat construction (which is heavily padded and will give or flex if impacted by the driver. Look at it like this...your head hitting that bar, is like someone with that bar hitting you in the head...NOT GOOD either way. In my opinion, a horizontal 3-4 inch wide padded band should go from the front bar around behind the drivers head and back out to the front bar on the other side. Kinda like what you see in a NASCAR seat. It could be mounted as such to allow the drivers line of vision just over the top of the pad Wade Mahaffey Last edited by Wade Mahaffey; 08-21-2014 at 11:35 AM.

08-21-2014, 04:45 PM	#2
Keith 944 VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Dela-where? Posts: 2,120 Likes: 1,007 Liked 1,658 Times in 525 Posts	Re: Funny Car Cages....Safe or not? what would be your answer to this Wade? maybe a drawing of said cage... I agree, it looks like you are getting struck in the head with a baseball bat. like someone mentioned on the stock side, drivers are going to do whatever they have too to see better and supposedly get an advantage. this guy looks like he had way too much room in there and belts prob. not as tight as possible either. must not be much padding either. I can see the funny car type padding in a funny car, top fuel, and pro stock where it is first to finish. their heads look like they couldn't move if they wanted too. but in most classes, unless your always the faster car, it is just not liked. personally I am just too slow to need the f/c cage and I like it that way. we all feel safe until we need it lol. btw. how did this person make out? was he/she ok? __________________ KEITH MAYERS 2 X somebody many X nobody Last edited by Keith 944; 08-21-2014 at 04:58 PM. Reason: there is always saftey issues

08-21-2014, 09:19 PM	#3
Wade Mahaffey Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 581 Likes: 0 Liked 17 Times in 7 Posts	Re: Funny Car Cages....Safe or not? Did not hear anything on the medical status.

08-23-2014, 06:05 PM	#4
Carl Juliano Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Queens, NYC Posts: 288 Likes: 201 Liked 63 Times in 23 Posts	Re: Funny Car Cages....Safe or not? A lot of Pro Mod drivers are using ISPs Lateral Head Supports. They have been around for a couple of years now. http://www.ispseats.com/id100.html __________________ Carl Juliano TS 1275 John Juliano SG 151 Carl Sr.

08-28-2014, 09:37 AM	#5
arrow990 Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 6 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Funny Car Cages....Safe or not? The picture is of Don Kritsky from Brainerd. I believe he broke his leg, hip and pelvis. He is at home, and I believe in traction.

08-30-2014, 09:51 AM	#6
HolcombS/G155G Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Dover PA Posts: 47 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Funny Car Cages....Safe or not? My personal opinion is that its not the cage, Its the driver in the cage who takes it upon themselves to not tighten up their belts the way they're supposed to be. When I strap into my dragster or my door car (both have funny car cages) my belts are tight. Neck restraints help with that too. __________________ DIV 1 Super Gas/Comp Newbie 2001 S/G Camaro, vfn bodied, all alum 430 SBC 2004 S/C Ed Quay XL 4 link dragster, 565 BBC