Spectator killed at NC drag strip
 

Don't know if everyone saw the news last night. A spectator was killed and others injured at Harrells Dragway, at Harrells, NC, yesterday.

Re: Spectator killed at NC drag strip
 

No ambulance at the track. Engine hit a group of spectators.

Re: Spectator killed at NC drag strip
 

Re: Spectator killed at NC drag strip
 

No ambulance and evidently no tech inspection. What was it,some cow pasture independant track?

Re: Spectator killed at NC drag strip
 

I have looked at a few S/C dragsters and the front mounts seem to held down with hose clamps. Is this the norm for that type of car?

Hammer

Re: Spectator killed at NC drag strip
 

Apparently the track is not sanctioned at all. The race was an Outlaw event.......

http://www.harrellsraceway.net/

Re: Spectator killed at NC drag strip
 

I've seen that and can't believe it is allowed. The mounts are half tubes secred to a full round tube on the chassis with radiator hose clamps of the appropriate size. Although I'm not an engineer, that's a simple worm gear and not designed for the vibration or stress.
I understand the mounting system but some sort of billet blocks bolted together with safety wire (like a fire extinguisher mount to a roll bar) would seem economical and appropriate.
Sorry to see somebody lost their life to such.

Re: Spectator killed at NC drag strip
 

By legal NHRA tech,the clamps are supposed to be aircraft style/regulated clamps,not Pep Boys style hose clamps. When I drove an early model rear engined car,my car owner was called on the clamps and had to change them.

Re: Spectator killed at NC drag strip
 

1st of all, I am Very sorry for the families involved, the track and the racer. you are All in my prayers.

Secondly, there was a thread here a little while back wondering why even bother getting sanctioned as a track operator. THIS is why, to have rules to abide by and trained tech officials and mandated Ambulances and mandatory SFI Safety training, and well I could go on.

If you race at an outlaw track, please please please try to get them sanctioned and have some safety there.

Re: Spectator killed at NC drag strip
 

The sanctioned track I have been to for Bracket racing has never check are car.At most all you do is go pay and sign the tech card.Don't even have to take the car for them to look at.
This is at Dunn-Benson,Fayetteville,Rockingham even Darlington all are IHRA tracks.


The car that wreck at Harrells was a Corvette P/M car.
Also was his first time running as fast as he did.It was said on another Talk board that he ran his career best ET at that race to.

Re: Spectator killed at NC drag strip
 

Most tracks I have been to over the years operate this way. I see it all the time and some cars in competition I wouldnt want to drive down my drive way. Most look like refugees from a junk yard. Ive see some fox bodied Mustangs (Hatch backs) with an open battery mounted in the back with bungee cords sitting next to a plastic fuel cell completely open to the driver. No firewall of any kind. If it caught fire the driver would be toast. Saw this one at Virginia Motor Sports park at the bracket series that is run at MIR (Budds Creek) also. What tech?
Colonial Beach Va. STILL does this type of "Inspection" now even after becoming sanctioned by IHRA. Some NHRA tracks operate this way also that I have seen. Just sign the tech card at the entrance of the pits and drive right on in without ever openng up your trailer for a look. Cant pass up an entry fee for the track. Im surprised more people are not killed.

Re: Spectator killed at NC drag strip
 

Tee-Bar HD stainless clamps are the normal items used , not regular hose clamps. My car has 4 of them holding the engine saddle clamps and midplate mounts. I've never seen a dragster engine come out of a car in a rollover wreck....but it is certainly possible in a violent crash....

Re: Spectator killed at NC drag strip
 

Dragsters are usually designed to come apart in an accident to get rid of the energy but wasn't this a door car.

Re: Spectator killed at NC drag strip
 

It was a tube chassis Corvette

Re: Spectator killed at NC drag strip
 

The track is known as a "grudge track", its an 1/8 mile with the old school steel guardrails. After reading some posts on other forums, the driver should've lifted, but continued under power and lost total control hitting the opposite rail head on.
Many of these "Grudge guys" are inexperienced, and have way too much car under them. They just "stab it and steer" Really tragic that someone died, another person was seriously burned.

Re: Spectator killed at NC drag strip
 

Until we were track operators I didnt realize the advantages of a sanctioned track has. I will never race at an unsanctioned track, mainly due to the insurance benefits.