Pros to race to 1000'

[Signman]

When aircraft land on the deck of carriers what is their speed. For some reason remember speeds spoken about being in the 150 area. They dangerously slow down when approaching, ready to go full throttle if everything is not right.

Any of those that have been there have input? Would like to know if what is being done by the Navy has any application.

For real though, bet NASA engineers could figure this out and have the engineering. There is liaison between NASA and the racing community now, looking to get technology out into the manufacturing community to benefit all and ustify their budget.

[Bob Pagano]

Whats with the griping, this is what the fuel racers asked for and agreed on. The Navy has a net system that will stop a plane if its out of fuel and cant go around. If they miss the cable the net comes up.

[Signman]

Not griping a technical question.

Will the net system work with a 2500 lb. vehicle coasting into it at 200MPH with no brakes?

[Ed Fernandez]

Originally Posted by Signman

Not griping a technical question.

Will the net system work with a 2500 lb. vehicle coasting into it at 200MPH with no brakes?

Frank,I think an F-18 Hornet (Std. Navy carrier plane) comes in a about 180 MPH @ about 18.000 lbs.
Maybe a series of 3 nets each stronger than the next would be the answer.I was on the starting line during the accident and it looked like nothing in place now would have helped.I think (personal opinion) that the concussion of the engine explosion rendered Scott unconcious.The car went straight down the right lane without apparantly not losing much speed.The pea gravel didn't do much but to help launch the car into the TV crane.I think they have to rethink putting any equiptment along the track after the finish line.Only my opinion not fact.A real tragedy for Connie and the family and friends.


Ed

[Jim Bailey]

The car has got to hit the net. Not the Poles that secure it.

[House of Darts]

There was an article in Car Craft magazine somewhere between 1972-75. Similar scare as to what is the future of drag racing. Their apocolyptic vision..... Pull your car into a building that resembled a self serve car wash. Put your money into the slot. A timing tree flashed and a simulated picture of a race track would run while you shifted the gears. Then you pulled out and went home. The gas crunch of the 70's, no more factory muscle cars, political correctness, Oprah, Al Gore,$ 5.50 diesel fuel, and another knee jerk reaction to an untimely event. I think that the "PROS" need to rember that all motor sports are dangerous. People come to see a show. 1000 feet or the 1/8 mile just doesn't cut it. Maybe the T/F and F/C racers should just do a burnout and be judged on just that. Wouldn't Force just like that. The pioneers of the class such as Gartlis, Dunn, etc. should come out of retirement and show the pretty boys that the Fuel class requires solutions to problems. R.I.P Scott, Eric,Darrell.

[Tracy Robbins]

Most of the newer facilities no longer build stands beyond the 1/8th mile...they build the horse-shoe stadium type of stands w/ vip boxes along the top. The spectator will see the exact same show they see now but will have a little better view of the chute and shut down. I was pitted at the scoreboards at Virginia last year and had a great view of the 1000 ft and 1320, there is not that much difference in the speed, noise or total experience. Go over to the comp message board and see what those guys have to say, I guess the faster you go the more this makes sense to you as a racer because most of those guys/girls think this is a great idea.

[Bill Harris]

NHRA is in the entertainment business. Being able to claim 300+ MPH speeds is a big deal to the advertisers since it helps to draw the spectators. The fact is, however, that very few spectators are in the position to experience the cars when they are at those speeds. Quite the contrary, the highest cost/most desirable seating at a national event is at the starting line where the cars are rarely moving faster than walking speed. The show is at the starting line, the burn-outs, staging and initial launch. The folks in the "good" seats see two cars heading off into the distance and the only experience they have with 300 MPH is the number that comes up on the scoreboard. A lot of tracks don't even have seating at the finish line, and if they do, those are the cheap seats (or the ones they let us lowly sportsman racers sit in).

The NHRA has been the one that has highlighted the speeds as opposed to the competition aspect of the race. "Come see 300 MPH Top Fuel and Funny Cars!" The fact that the cars are in a competition with one another is secondary to the show: the speed, noise, smoke, fumes, the pit access and activity, the "personalities" are emphasized, not the competition. As long as the speeds are the focus, it's going to be pretty hard for them to slow down the fuel cars and keep the fans happy, even though the speed is probably the least important aspect to the actual race. I guess as long as the cars are capable of 300 MPH in 1000', Joe six-pack probably won't care, all he sees is a number on a board 1/4 mile away.

[Signman]

Originally Posted by Ed Fernandez

Frank,I think an F-18 Hornet (Std. Navy carrier plane) comes in a about 180 MPH @ about 18.000 lbs.
Maybe a series of 3 nets each stronger than the next would be the answer.I was on the starting line during the accident and it looked like nothing in place now would have helped.I think (personal opinion) that the concussion of the engine explosion rendered Scott unconcious.The car went straight down the right lane without apparantly not losing much speed.The pea gravel didn't do much but to help launch the car into the TV crane.I think they have to rethink putting any equiptment along the track after the finish line.Only my opinion not fact.A real tragedy for Connie and the family and friends.


Ed

Thank you for the reply. With that info it may be possible to re-engineer it and be effective at the given weight and speed of a drag car.

It was estimated that Scott did not apply any braking and went into the pea gravel at 200 mph.

It may only be my opinion but:
If the chutes had deployed there may not have been a severe wreck.
If the lift was not parked there the car would have flipped over into the trees, a very bad wreck but possibly no fatality. The lift did not move when the back of the car flipped over into it. The amount of energy must have been so great that items welded to the cage were torn off as if glued on with elmer's school glue.