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Rusty2211 · 07-11-2010, 08:33 PM

This is really sad. I feel for the family and crew of Mr. Niver. I was at Atlanta Dragway a couple of years ago when a similar incident occurred. That was the first time I ever saw a hearse show up at a dragstrip and I hope it’s the last. I do have a question. Why do the chutes not fall off of Fuel cars? Are the requirements for the mounting points more substantial on the fuel cars?

A few observations:
1. The mounted points and any related hardware needs to be doubled in size/thickness immediately.
2. These cars need a 3rd parachute incase the first set fails.
3. Any or all of the chutes need to be able to be deployed by a 3rd party in case the driver becomes incapacitated.
4. The netting systems need to be re-designed. They work great for door cars (except for Woodrow’s), but not for dragsters and funny cars (or motorcycles). If you think about the physics of hitting that net at that speed and the parts that can come into contact with the driver, it just does not make sense. There has to be an alternative.

The last time I checked there has not been any NASCAR driver’s killed since Dale Earnhardt and these guys are crashing into stuff at 200MPH all the time. The reason is not luck, but that NASCAR decided to spend the money for the R&D and upgrades to protect the drivers. Has NHRA crash tested anything into one of these netting systems and studied the results?

07-11-2010, 08:33 PM	#13
Rusty2211 Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Georgia Posts: 118 Likes: 1 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Alcohol dragster? This is really sad. I feel for the family and crew of Mr. Niver. I was at Atlanta Dragway a couple of years ago when a similar incident occurred. That was the first time I ever saw a hearse show up at a dragstrip and I hope it’s the last. I do have a question. Why do the chutes not fall off of Fuel cars? Are the requirements for the mounting points more substantial on the fuel cars? A few observations: 1. The mounted points and any related hardware needs to be doubled in size/thickness immediately. 2. These cars need a 3rd parachute incase the first set fails. 3. Any or all of the chutes need to be able to be deployed by a 3rd party in case the driver becomes incapacitated. 4. The netting systems need to be re-designed. They work great for door cars (except for Woodrow’s), but not for dragsters and funny cars (or motorcycles). If you think about the physics of hitting that net at that speed and the parts that can come into contact with the driver, it just does not make sense. There has to be an alternative. The last time I checked there has not been any NASCAR driver’s killed since Dale Earnhardt and these guys are crashing into stuff at 200MPH all the time. The reason is not luck, but that NASCAR decided to spend the money for the R&D and upgrades to protect the drivers. Has NHRA crash tested anything into one of these netting systems and studied the results?