So You Want To Race Without A Roll Cage??

[84Ttop]

So you're a tough guy and swear that your big power fox body doesn't need a roll cage. It's just a street car you say? You wouldn't want to be hassled climbing in and out of the car? It only goes to the track once in a while...

Take a close look at this and reevaluate your attitude... Somehow this guy survived this crash yesterday. This happened at Phoenix City Dragway, AL ( an 1/8 mile track ) that had no EMT on standby. The car crossed the traps going 5.98@115 (equates to a 9.0 1/4 mile car) when the driver lost control, cause of the accident is unknown to me. The only safety equipment that the car had was the factory seat belts... Are you kidding me???
It is far to easy to make a lot of horsepower with these cars and this should be a reminder that the right safety equipment goes a long way. While this guy is extremely lucky, the next person that pulls this same stunt may be a candidate for the Darwin award. Ask yourself, can you put a price on safety? Do you want to race at a track that doesn't have an EMT on site?

Rant over... Please comment

 

[hoopty5.0]

Saw title to thread and thought, "nope."

Opened thread, still "nope."

 

[A5literMan]

Amazing that guy lived. Local track is very strict and has all the necessary safety/EMT personnel. While I completely agree I still don't want to cage my car until I get above the 11.99power range. Which I probably will be this year. Now having something that has 120+mph potential(1/4)or(100+1/8) is where I start to really worry about extra safety requirements beyond a helmet,seat belt,etc. And I know that a cage/safety harness are mandatory at 11.50.

 

[84Ttop]

Amazing that guy lived. Local track is very strict and has all the necessary safety/EMT personnel. While I completely agree I still don't want to cage my car until I get above the 11.99power range. Which I probably will be this year. Now having something that has 120+mph potential(1/4)or(100+1/8) is where I start to really worry about extra safety requirements beyond a helmet,seat belt,etc. And I know that a cage/safety harness are mandatory at 11.50.

Your thought process is right in line, your car was designed to crumple, twist, bend, whatever in a crash at highway type speeds. In my opinion the NHRA does a good job in spelling out what safety equipment is needed and at what speeds/ET's. I'm not saying that a 12 second car has to have a roll bar, but I'll be dam ned if I strap into some 9 second rocket with just a seat belt! The mph plays a role in the accident here but the rate of acceleration plays an even bigger role.
For example a car that traps 115 mph in the 1/8th and hits the wall under power will be in far worse shape than the same car hitting the wall at 115 mph in the 1/4 under power, the rate of acceleration in both instances are worlds apart.

When my car went into the wall a few years back, it nosed into the wall at 150mph but it was not under power. The driver didn't suffer a single injury (pride not included) and the safety equipment did its due diligence in protecting him. The car was easily repaired in short time and still lives to race the next day. My car has been 146mph to the 1/8th under power and I won't even think of the damage that would do (unfortunately I have several friends that have experienced this, all with the proper gear and all of whom walked away!)

 

[Boosted92LX]

OUCH! While my car doesn't see the track (yet anyways.....) THAT makes me wanna order a cage right now...


maybe if it ever gets off the jackstands more than a day....

 

[srtthis]

nope no chance... my car is going to be getting a cage soon

 

[FastDriver]

Honestly, I'm not surprised that it happened at phenix city... I went to that place once to race, and never again. When I asked where the inspector was, they handed me a slip of paper, said "here's the inspection." I was like, "What if my car was leaking oil or antifreeze?" And they (the guys in the tower) replied, "Well it isn't, right?"

They gave not a rat's ass about the safety of my car, the danger it may have exposed to other racers, or whether I met the NHRA/NMRA requirements for a cage.

Do I think that this was the only time that guy ran a 5 second time on that track? Nope... It was bound to happen with that crew.

 

[02 281 GT]

What kind of license(s) is/are required to run a drag strip? One would assume that validity of said licenses would depend on the track adhering to and requiring compliance from racers with certain safety standards? I don't really know anything about that whole business, but it seems to me like whoever runs that track could get into a lot of trouble after an occurrence like that. It's nothing short of amazing that he survived. Did he walk away from the crash?

 

[A5literMan]

Anything below 9.99 requires a NHRA liscence. Every track I've been to is very strict on tech/liscence qualifications. But I've heard of a few tracks like this particular location. I would assume they are going to need an attorney after this. Amazing to me that this is even possible.

 

[Boosted92LX]

Anything below 9.99 requires a NHRA liscence. Every track I've been to is very strict on tech/liscence qualifications. But I've heard of a few tracks like this particular location. I would assume they are going to need an attorney after this. Amazing to me that this is even possible.

I did not know that.. I knew you had to pass tech, but wasn't aware of the license part, but then again, I've never broken 10.00.. at a track.. I used to help a friend wrench on his track car that went 10.50s, at Houston Raceway park on friday nights.. tech was pretty laid back there, but you weren't going to run without a cage, helmet, etc.

 

[84Ttop]

What kind of license(s) is/are required to run a drag strip? One would assume that validity of said licenses would depend on the track adhering to and requiring compliance from racers with certain safety standards? I don't really know anything about that whole business, but it seems to me like whoever runs that track could get into a lot of trouble after an occurrence like that. It's nothing short of amazing that he survived. Did he walk away from the crash?

From what I've learned of the incident he did not walk away... He is alive and was medivac'd out, extent of injuries are unknown. My guess, if you need a chopper you're busted up pretty bad!

As far as certain tracks adhering to certain rules, that would depend on if they belong to a particular sanctioning body or not and local law. I know our local track in NJ (Atco) has a state police presence at almost every street night and on more than one occasion i have seen a Trooper with the tech guy checking NHRA licenses and safety equipment alongside of track personnel. Personally I would not like to be in the lanes next to someone else running a sub 10 second car that hasn't a clue what they are doing (hence needing a license, physical the whole deal).

Case in point, the accident my car was involved in... A friend of mine was in the lanes next to us in a car that goes 11.0's When my car nosed into the wall it had gone well into the 8's and was quite a ways out in front of him. The other driver (my buddy) in the other lane didn't know what to do and stayed with it the whole pass down track. He should have aborted and if he was a more seasoned driver would have know what to do in that case. My car easily could have crossed the lanes and wiped him out making a bad situation that much worse. While I don't agree with the cost gouging the NHRA does, the license and safety issues are certainly warranted.

 

[elarm1]

I blame NO track. There is a risk when operating any machine. Grant it, it is safER at the track but danger is still danger when considering 100+mph on ANY street. That guy needed a cage obviously. But you still cannot blame the track. Just my opinion

 

[hoopty5.0]

Any NHRA sanctioned track should be held to the same set of standards that the racers are held to. Should they not follow their guidelines, then they are most certainly to blame.

But yes, there is an assumed risk doing this, but risks should also be minimized as much as humanly possible.

 

[Chuckman]

the sanctioning bodies (nhra, nmra, etc) may have their own rules for how a track under their jurisdiction should run/tech (not that every track follows those rules for every event, especially for tnt days), but those tracks who aren't under those banners are really only held accountable to whatever their insurance will let them get away with.

gateway's tech on tnt is so lax, that usually all they look for on mine is that the battery is bolted down, and that the a/c (if i had any) is off (which, yes, has caused an issue on a night i was there, someone ran into the wall right off the line cause the track was wet from condensation). then again, my car is slow, and it all depends on who's doing it and how fast they think your junk is/should be.

 

[TOOLOW91]

I didn't want to put a bar in the car after reading that thread on YB this next winter I may do a 6 point and leave the swing outs off on the street


Sent from my iPhone using my fingers while my auto correct makes me seem illiterate

 

[HotFox]

Wow that thing is mangled!

Still after seeing that I will not cage mine been low 11's. I guess if it comes down to running or not I guess it will stay a street car. The only real hassle I have had was no steel bell housing at the track. That has since been added. My car my life.

 

[RangerJoe]

That is amazing carnage. Both the 1/8 mile tracks around here are very lenient on their tech...as in, "you got a helmet?"

I will actually be going this Saturday to a test n tune session. Of course, my car us slow.

Joe

 

[FastDriver]

Hey, don't get me wrong, guys. I'm all for individual rights. Your car, your life. I also accept the ever-present risk associated with going fast. HOWEVER, I very much hold the track accountable for keeping the lanes clean, and the environment safe. A big part of that, to me, is making sure other cars aren't out there leaking lubricant all over the surface of the track. You can't just do that through binoculars... you have to safety everyone to make sure their car isn't going to present a danger to everyone else.

The last thing I want is to lose it on the big end with the tach in the red in high gear because some poor schmuck who didn't know any better on his first trip to the track decided to run anti-freeze leaking hot-rod.

And another difference, there's a world of difference running an 11 second (1/4 mile) street car, and running an 8 second car, in my mind. My 420rwhp, 11 second twin-turbo never gave up the traction at 100+ on ET Streets. Can't say the same after it made 800+.

Chris

 

[A5literMan]

Hey, don't get me wrong, guys. I'm all for individual rights. Your car, your life. I also accept the ever-present risk associated with going fast. HOWEVER, I very much hold the track accountable for keeping the lanes clean, and the environment safe. A big part of that, to me, is making sure other cars aren't out there leaking lubricant all over the surface of the track. You can't just do that through binoculars... you have to safety everyone to make sure their car isn't going to present a danger to everyone else.

The last thing I want is to lose it on the big end with the tach in the red in high gear because some poor schmuck who didn't know any better on his first trip to the track decided to run anti-freeze leaking hot-rod.

And another difference, there's a world of difference running an 11 second (1/4 mile) street car, and running an 8 second car, in my mind. My 420rwhp, 11 second twin-turbo never gave up the traction at 100+ on ET Streets. Can't say the same after it made 800+.

Chris

Agreed.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Meh, Not surprised. Phoenix City is notorious for this kinda "grudge race" crap. All I have to do to find out who drove the car is call my friend. Hell, he may have had a hand in doing something for the guy that owned it.

It's all about building something that makes money because it doesn't look that fast. A cage makes it a race car, and the implied need for that means less to win when the money starts getting thrown around. I'll bet that thing got so bent when he left the line, it's a wonder it lasted longer than one race.

You guys that are "forced" to be NHRA compliant should consider yourself lucky. Back when I was racing, and "tech" was a stock 3 pt., and a motorcycle helmet, it wasn't uncommon to see somebody get tagged by the other guy after he lost it , and crossed his lane at any of the assortment of grudge race tracks down here in the south.

The offender always seemed to be some Shafiroff BBC stuffed stock bodied LX w/ a Pro shot fogger, A glide w/ a 5000 stall converter, and SF connectors at best..