Alcohol dragster?

[RPinoski1]

the catch nets need to flex and slow the car down......not 2 steel cable tied to posts instant stop no give.....
How about the cable on pulleys that are tied to weights that gradually catch and slow down as the car goes in to the next catch net same system?

The way the system is now I think I would rather scrub against the wall and go sideways in to the net.

[Mike Carr]

I agree with SSDiv6. My dad has been a truck driver for forty years, and once had go into one of those runaway truck ramps when the brakes failed. They are made of pea gravel. When he stopped, about halfway up, he was buried up to the axle in gravel. Now, granted, a 80,000 pound semi will probably sink better going 70-80 mph than a 2,000-2,400 pound dragster/funny car at much higher speeds, but might be worth a shot.

[smracer2002]

Originally Posted by Mike Carr

I agree with SSDiv6. My dad has been a truck driver for forty years, and once had go into one of those runaway truck ramps when the brakes failed. They are made of pea gravel. When he stopped, about halfway up, he was buried up to the axle in gravel. Now, granted, a 80,000 pound semi will probably sink better going 70-80 mph than a 2,000-2,400 pound dragster/funny car at much higher speeds, but might be worth a shot.

Seattles shutdown is pea gravel.Just saw a touching picture
posted on another site by a Seattle worker.

[SSDiv6]

Originally Posted by smracer2002

Seattles shutdown is pea gravel.Just saw a touching picture
posted on another site by a Seattle worker.

It has gravel, however is not deep enough.

[DemonChick]

Originally Posted by smracer2002

Seattles shutdown is pea gravel.Just saw a touching picture
posted on another site by a Seattle worker.

Thanks for posting that photo, we are the ones who put those flowers there after the race was over. There were wild daisy's everywhere around our pit area at the top end there and I got my scissors out and clipped a bunch to put in the sand(gravel) trap and the 6 of us had our moment of silence. We did not know him personally but he was part of our drag racing family no matter what class we all run in.
Our condolences to his family and many friends.
R.I.P. Mark

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by RPinoski1

the catch nets need to flex and slow the car down......not 2 steel cable tied to posts instant stop no give.....
How about the cable on pulleys that are tied to weights that gradually catch and slow down as the car goes in to the next catch net same system?

The way the system is now I think I would rather scrub against the wall and go sideways in to the net.

The text in bold is similar to how the arrester gear on an aircraft carrier works. It might be possible to use that idea as a way to improve the net. However, such a system is going to be extremely difficult to design, install, and maintain, and would likely require adjustment for each class of car that runs. That means more expense, and more down time, NHRA won't like that idea. But the nets themselves should have a considerable amount of elasticity to begin with.

[Paul Merolla]

What about some form of this system: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAFER_barrier ?

Maybe rows of them instead of sand?