A Safer Routine
 

Got a phone call from a good friend of mine – who will probably bitch at me because I didn’t mention his name but – to tell me about an incident that happened to him on the starting line which ended with him in a hospital stay. And it brings to mind something we were probably told about as kids.

How many times did you hear your mother comment she had eyes in the back of her head to see when we were doing something wrong? This sort of brings up the fact of – maybe call it intuition – when you’re walking around the starting line area; or any area in the pits for that matter.

This “friend” is actually quite an accomplished crew chief, having walked around starting lines at least as long as I have been doing it myself. He currently has built a very fast turbocharged motorcycle driven by a very experienced and talented young woman. As is usually the case of a motorcycle, it requires lining them up properly on the starting line. As he stood on the line signaling where she should aim for, the throttle of the motorcycle inadvertently stuck with the bike in gear, jumping forward, running my friend over, knocking him to the ground. The end result as he puts it is, “several screws, rods and other paraphernalia which will need to be inserted in my legs.”

That being said, I feel it’s time to remind everyone just how dangerous our sport is. I always got a kick out of the disclaimer tag which was sewed into a Simpson fire jacket simply stating “Auto racing is dangerous.” Duh? However, it’s not only dangerous for those buckled tight in a race car, but also anyone, especially those walking around the starting line or in the pits. You’ve got to develop those “eyes in the back of your head.”

Of course, accidents happen, it’s in their description: “an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury.” They’re sometimes hard to escape, but we should at least do our best to protect ourselves. Isn’t that what we do when we suit up and buckle tight – you do buckle your belts tight, don’t you? – inside our cars?

I’m sure a lot of you have seen the countless videos of several events where the starting line is jam packed full of people standing around trying to gain a view of the happenings. Or maybe you’ve also been a willing participant in one of those events. Thankfully, there haven’t been any “accidents” that I know of, but there could be. Some of my colleagues have viewed those as “an accident waiting to happen,” and I have to somewhat concur.

If anyone remembers years ago, there was an alcohol dragster testing incident where the car inadvertently spun around after leaving the line and headed straight back up the track, hitting her tow vehicle and fatally injuring her son sitting inside. I’ve mentioned this before but, s—t happens.

Incident No. 2, and I hesitate to bring this up so as not to embarrass anyone, but…. I happened to be at a track where I noticed a person in a motorized wheelchair wheeling around the starting line and burnout area lining up his driver. I applaud their enthusiasm, but don’t believe that wheelchair can move all that fast should something happen.

Earlier this year; although I wasn’t there to witness it; noted racer, crew chief, teacher, et al, Roy Hill found himself in one of those predicaments, getting backed over in the burnout box. Here’s a guy who I believe has walked around more starting lines than both myself, my friend and probably countless others combined. A guy who even with those “eyes in the back of his head” found himself in a precarious situation.

It’s somewhat impossible to predict when and where, but at the very least, do your best to protect yourself, and when it comes to walking around on the starting line, you need to develop those “eyes.” Just like a lot of things in life, you need to be aware of your surroundings.

As for “my friend,” through prayers he’ll survive and be able to walk around on the starting line again, but he’s also determined to develop a safer routine in order to line up his motorcycle. Of course, “eyes in the back of his head” probably wouldn’t have helped as he was staring right at the problem at hand. But shouldn’t we all develop a “safer routine?”

Re: A Safer Routine
 

Another good tip John. Everyone should search YouTube for the Tim McAmis take on “starting line procedure”.

Re: A Safer Routine
 

He really should take his show on the road.

Re: A Safer Routine
 

One of the "Bad Habits" I see continually, is when the crew person is examining the starting line, with their back turned to the racecar, and the racecar has begun the burnout ! Makes me cringe!

Re: A Safer Routine
 

I almost always do my warm up on a jack with jackstands instead of driving around the pits as many often do. Too many cars with bad sight lines driving around spectators and golf carts and scooters and other race cars.

Re: A Safer Routine
 

I agree Jim. I still can't understand why these pro teams and even sportsman cars feel a need to have someone stand infront of the car as it's doing a burnout. Do you really plan on changing the trajectory of the car when the wheels are spinning? The pros have to back up anyways, thats when you put them in the groove. NHRA should not allow these people to stand infront of a car like that, itll take one time for someone getting ran over to make that not allowed.

Re: A Safer Routine
 

He is 100% on the money. I raced for many many years, and at no time have I ever felt the need to recruit a bunch of people to come to the starting line to reenact a "Keystone Cops" bit around my car. I know where the water is, I know when the tires are hot, I don't need anyone touching my car, the Line Lock will hold the car in place, I can find the starting line on my own, and I can see the groove just as well from inside the car as anyone else can see it from outside the car.


https://youtu.be/pKi_DCWaN0I

Re: A Safer Routine
 

Liberman was a performer, not a competitor, and Pam Hardy was an 18 year old with an entertaining form. Her backing up Liberman was just part of the show- it had nothing to do with actual competition.

Re: A Safer Routine
 

I've seen cars that were staged and a crewperson was adjusting the wheelie bar. Talk about cringe-worthy...

Re: A Safer Routine
 

Try a hemi shootout. Starter waving for a burnout as the starting pair are underway. I sit, he waves again. I just point forward and make a "parting of the red sea" wave as the team watching the ongoing race are all over the starting line. Guess thats why I am a slow stager (and racer). Phish

Re: A Safer Routine
 

Doesn't have much to do with NHRA racing but what gets my goat are the Street Outlaw cars on TV. People all over the starting line and a flagman between 2 2000 hp cars that are racing on a "no Prep" street that at arms drop can go anyway they want. That's a mess. Hope no one ever gets hurt but really don't see how it won't happen.

Re: A Safer Routine
 

Those same people do the same crap at actual drag strips. Looks like about 70% of them are just there to place bets...

Re: A Safer Routine
 

This was a very scary incident. Watching the video of it you can see the rider's helmet contact his head. Glad to hear he is starting to heal.

Re: A Safer Routine
 

I've seen a couple of these maybe 'not too experienced' racers take off in reverse. With all those bodies up close and personal.

Re: A Safer Routine
 

This sport is dangerous
Pretty sure anyone that has been around auto racing a while has a list, long or short, of friends or family that have been killed or hurt.

Re: A Safer Routine
 

Ernest Hemingway said that there are only three sports- motor racing, mountaineering, and bullfighting, the rest are merely games. His point, is that it's not a sport if it doesn't have the very real and immediate potential to kill you.

I am absolutely not a daredevil, but I happen to have quite a bit of experience with managing danger. I am a retired cop, retired by an injury in the line of duty. I have been shot, stabbed, and attacked by pitbulls. I have raced cars and motorcycles in multiple motorsports disciplines, sometimes at speeds in excess of 200 mph. My wife and I have traveled all over the world, to experience the world's most dangerous race courses.

Drag racing is certainly a sport, but it is by far the safest motorsport that I have ever participated in, as it well should be- we're just going in a straight line, in separate lanes, for no more than 1,320 feet. It is a sport where M/SA stockers with top speeds of around 100 mph or so, are required to have roll bars and SFI spec 16.1 harnesses. My last motorcycle did 104 mph just in first gear, and I was protected by a millimeter or so of cow hide, on a circuit with corners and a bunch of other racers, but no lanes.

The most dangerous motorsport we have ever experienced, is the Isle Of Man TT. The big bikes are capable of about 210 mph on two-lane country roads lined with stone cottages, and the riders are coming back in with paint scrapes on their shoulders and helmets. Everything that can be done to make it safer, is done. But still about 250 people have been killed there over the years. Five people were killed during the two weeks we were there. We had three near-misses ourselves, just on the last day of racing.

I guess my point is, that motorsport has dangers, but we should manage those dangers as best we can, and a gaggle of goof-balls betting, trash-talking, and high-fiving on the starting line, is completely unnecessary.