NHRA - Do they have their heads up their Asses?

[Synchroman]

The track will never keep up with the cars, most tracks don't have the room to expand. Eventually even the long tracks will become compromised as the speeds increase. If you start giving ultimatums to the tracks, you will lose 1/2 of the ones on the tour. Bet on the fact that they are: #1. Going to slow the cars down, #2. Come up with some sort of speed arresting equipment, #3. More flame retardant chute material.

If I was a betting man, I'd say that they will be working on a whole new set of rules to slow the cars down. Limit compression ratio, smaller superchargers. They should lower the max diplacement also, IMO.

I think they should try to limit the speeds as you say. I notice that the speeds and elapsed times are not all that different at 1000 feet. I guess that gives them additioinal shut off length so that's good but the speeds are still too high. JMO, however.

I'm not a drag racer but I like to watch the sport and I don't want to see anyone get hurt or killed.

[Flyingpig]

I was just reading another site. Here is a case of causing more problems with the new rules. Super Comp dragsters were getting out of shape, sideways and one crashed sending the driver to the ER with a punctured lung. Why? Raw fuel on the track after 1000'. Believe me, you dont want anything on the track when youre driving on slicks.

[190MPH]

That is more a function of the trackside safety crews not keping their eyes on the task at hand. I wouldn't be convinced it was fuel as it would tend to evaporate quickly I would think. I'd be interested to know if they did a scrub after the fuel cars ran. Clutch dust can be worse than you can imagine.

[trstek]

In some circles it is called unintended consequences.

Any change to a complex "system" will undoubtedly have an effect on all of the individual components.

If the dots line up in a bad way...

The speed is not the problem, its the suddon stop, loss of control, gernading an engine etc... Speed is the reason to show up on saturday or sunday.

What needs to take place is technology needs to catch up to the level they are running at. Look at any complex system and it is quickly obvious that it will require some trial and error to find the control limits. And if one or more of the variables change, yes dorothy, the control limits change also.

The solution exists, it just needs to be found. And it will be found as long as the solution is not legislated. Define proper safety guidelines, and let the boys do what they do best, push the envelope farther and race.

[mdp]

I'm wondering how feasible it would be to go with rear engined funnies.I know it has been tried in the past with limited success but someone somewhere would figure it out to make it work properly.I'm not saying it would have saved any of the people in any of the situations previously mentioned but to me, fire behind you has got to be better than fire in your face.Am I way off on this?