I don,t like spiders or snakes

FED 387 · 03-18-2013, 11:29 AM

I find it rather hard to believe that there are spiders infesting the timing lights!! However if that is the case then NHRA needs to check daily as part of the pre race maintainence to make sure that there are/is no " obstructions" interfering with the photocells--- and especially for the final rounds!!!!--This is the 3rd time in 3 races that something like this has happened--once at Pomona and twice at G'ville that I heard of!!!

Steve Williams · 03-18-2013, 02:51 PM

What happened in the Comp final had nothing to do with spiders or snakes.

Ed Wright · 03-18-2013, 03:06 PM

Had a big spider in one of the photocells at the starting line at Houston. It was causing some bogus ETs and 60's. first I had heard of it.

M Lefkes · 03-18-2013, 08:28 PM

Steve I was hoping you would chime in on what happened in the comp final, did Ambrose roll the beams? I was really hoping it wasn't a repeat of what happened in Pomona SS final.

Michael Beard · 03-18-2013, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M Lefkes

Steve I was hoping you would chime in on what happened in the comp final, did Ambrose roll the beams? I was really hoping it wasn't a repeat of what happened in Pomona SS final.

Not a repeat. There's video on espn360.com, and you can very clearly see Ambrose move backwards out of the beam. It's at around 5:24:15. I wish it was on YouTube so you could step through the video and confirm that the red light doesn't display prior to the stage light going out, as happened with the Super Stock incident.

Steve Williams · 03-19-2013, 09:23 AM

Here is the deal. If I understood what he told me correctly on the phone, was that he staged very shallow. Stage light flickered. Something not real common with LED lights. He let off the brake and moved in a touch deeper. Problem is that once the brake is released, the shift timer is activated. The timer shifted the trans into 2nd. There is not enough time to pull it back into low, get back on the brake and reset the timer before it is time to go. This explains the small movement. Stuff happens. No conspiracy theories here. Better to be the last round runner up than to be the first round runner up. I didn't really want to explain this as he felt pretty bad. He has won 9 of these things, so he knows how to get it done. Regardless of the outcome, Steve and Bob are my heroes. The 10th will have to wait a little bit.

Dave Kommel · 03-19-2013, 09:30 AM

I was shooting from Aragona's side and it's very difficult to see through the camera, especially with a wide angle, but it appeared to me that Steve was moving backwards when the tree came down.

03-18-2013, 11:29 AM	#1
FED 387 VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 3,421 Likes: 529 Liked 333 Times in 180 Posts	Re: I don,t like spiders or snakes I find it rather hard to believe that there are spiders infesting the timing lights!! However if that is the case then NHRA needs to check daily as part of the pre race maintainence to make sure that there are/is no " obstructions" interfering with the photocells--- and especially for the final rounds!!!!--This is the 3rd time in 3 races that something like this has happened--once at Pomona and twice at G'ville that I heard of!!!

03-18-2013, 02:51 PM	#2
Steve Williams Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Detroit, Michigan Posts: 352 Likes: 0 Liked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: I don,t like spiders or snakes What happened in the Comp final had nothing to do with spiders or snakes.

03-18-2013, 03:06 PM	#3
Ed Wright Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Sand Springs, OK Posts: 8,132 Likes: 896 Liked 390 Times in 170 Posts	Re: I don,t like spiders or snakes Had a big spider in one of the photocells at the starting line at Houston. It was causing some bogus ETs and 60's. first I had heard of it. __________________ Ed Wright 4156 SS/JA Last edited by Ed Wright; 03-18-2013 at 08:45 PM.

03-18-2013, 08:28 PM	#4
M Lefkes Junior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Mattawan, MI Posts: 47 Likes: 11 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: I don,t like spiders or snakes Steve I was hoping you would chime in on what happened in the comp final, did Ambrose roll the beams? I was really hoping it wasn't a repeat of what happened in Pomona SS final.

03-19-2013, 09:23 AM	#6
Steve Williams Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Detroit, Michigan Posts: 352 Likes: 0 Liked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: I don,t like spiders or snakes Here is the deal. If I understood what he told me correctly on the phone, was that he staged very shallow. Stage light flickered. Something not real common with LED lights. He let off the brake and moved in a touch deeper. Problem is that once the brake is released, the shift timer is activated. The timer shifted the trans into 2nd. There is not enough time to pull it back into low, get back on the brake and reset the timer before it is time to go. This explains the small movement. Stuff happens. No conspiracy theories here. Better to be the last round runner up than to be the first round runner up. I didn't really want to explain this as he felt pretty bad. He has won 9 of these things, so he knows how to get it done. Regardless of the outcome, Steve and Bob are my heroes. The 10th will have to wait a little bit. Last edited by Steve Williams; 03-19-2013 at 09:25 AM.

03-19-2013, 09:30 AM	#7
Dave Kommel Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: San Dimas CA Posts: 143 Likes: 2 Liked 2 Times in 1 Post	Re: I don,t like spiders or snakes I was shooting from Aragona's side and it's very difficult to see through the camera, especially with a wide angle, but it appeared to me that Steve was moving backwards when the tree came down. __________________ Dave Kommel

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