Scott Kalitta...dead at 46! - Page 6

**300deluxeL79** · #51 06-28-2008, 03:28 AM

NHRA has released some initial findings...
http://www.nhra.com/content/news/30197.htm

ss427copo · #52 06-28-2008, 05:06 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Norm, you are really pushing me. Since when is Sirius radio an accurate source for this type of situation? I work there, and I was there. The faceless company that you are attacking is a family that has made safety updates over the past 40+ years without being require to. Think before typing. Andrew

[/ QUOTE ]

The Napp Family, all my racing there is 1st class.

Jeff x 2

(nhra1060sc)

Norm reynolds · #53 06-28-2008, 06:12 AM

Trust me I AM NOT trying to start a fight here
I just can not for the life of me know why they did not fix the track and make it safer
( Ummm...doesn't that wall *have* to be there? There is a public HIGHWAY beyond the end of the track...can't imagine anyone would wanna accept the possible liability of a car leaving E-town property and t-boning someone in traffic that just happens to be passing by? The racers sign a waiver, not the folks commuting on Pension Rd.).. THEN THERE HAS TO BE ANOTHER WAY but a cement wall is just dumb and NOT the answer
if this was the case and if I was the owner I would fix this before any more cars going 300 + heading for a cement wall This is just plan stupid and I still feel that this all could have been avoided if some one had some common sense A friend of mine is a New Jersey state trooper
we talked about this this morning and his take was the track was at fault As he put it. it is like having a cement wall at the end of run way and a plane lands and slams in to it the wall. He feals that the wall should have never been there I am ending this because this will not bring back Scott I just hope some one learned from this
tragic accident

Casey Marks · #54 06-28-2008, 06:54 PM

I think the sandbox at the end of the track is too short. Just my opinion.

Regardless, when talking to my Mac tool guy when he came to the shop yesterday, he said that the memorial at Norwalk was very moving and a great tribute to Scott. And he said that John Force was the most somber he'd ever seen .......

**YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY** · #55 06-30-2008, 07:12 PM

Thanks for the link to the NHRA site, it mimics the statements made by NHRA evp of ops yesterday at Norwalk.

69hurstSC · #56 07-02-2008, 03:13 AM

Brainerd International Raceway is my home dragstrip. BIR is the longest dragstrip and also has a 200mph corner at the end of the straightaway. It boggles my mind that there are cement walls set up to stop cars!?! NHRA is more to blame than the dragstrip. There should be mandates set with minimum sandtraps lengths and additional safety devices.

bowtie3168 · #57 07-02-2008, 08:11 PM

Gentlemen I understand that you are trying to make sense of the loss of a great racer. You all do not understand the design of the shutdown area and how it works, I do not say that in a condecending way but all of the second guessing is not appreciated. Andrew Hinckley

Chateau Slate 66 · #58 07-02-2008, 08:34 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Gentlemen I understand that you are trying to make sense of the loss of a great racer. You all do not understand the design of the shutdown area and how it works, I do not say that in a condecending way but all of the second guessing is not appreciated. Andrew Hinckley

[/ QUOTE ]

It obviously did not work very well in this case.

While myself and others may not be experts on the "design of the shutdown area and how it works", we are still entitled to our own opinions, right or wrong. To think that your opinion is the only one that matters is "not appreciated" either.

bowtie3168 · #59 07-03-2008, 12:26 AM

YOU DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO DETERMINE THE CONCLUSION YOU HAVE REACHED! "It obviously did not work very well in this case." Were you there? You do have the right to your opinion. Make sure that you understand before attacking.

ss427copo · #60 07-03-2008, 06:14 AM

Hot off the wire......

GLENDORA, Calif. -- As the investigation continues into the tragic accident that took the life of driver Scott Kalitta, NHRA announced today that beginning at the Mopar Mile High Nationals in Denver, Colorado, both the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes will race to 1,000 feet instead of the traditional 1,320 feet or one-quarter mile. This is an interim step that is being taken while NHRA continues to analyze and determine whether changes should be made to build upon the sport's long standing safety record, given the inherent risks and ever-present dangers associated with the sport.
This interim change was made by NHRA in collaboration with professional race teams. NHRA believes that racing the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes to 1,000 feet will allow NHRA and the racing community time to evaluate, analyze and implement potential changes based on the safety initiatives outlined last week.

With the change, fans will still be able to enjoy the sights, sounds and thrill of NHRA nitro racing with speeds around 300 mph and quick elapsed times to 1,000 feet.

Over the years, NHRA has implemented many initiatives to enhance safety including measures to limit speeds from increasing, personal protective gear, vehicle improvements, and track enhancements such as sand traps, catch nets and concrete barriers the entire length of the drag strip.

In the wake of the tragic series of events that took Kalitta's life, the following technical issues are currently under investigation: 1) what might be done to reduce engine failures; 2) parachute mounting techniques and materials as well as identifying a parachute material that could be more fire resistant; 3) exploring whether there is a way to increase brake efficiency when cars lose downforce due to the loss of the body; 4) analyzing additional methods that might be developed at the top end of the race track to help arrest runaway vehicles; 5) considering whether current speeds should be further limited or reduced to potentially improve safety.

"The board members of the Professional Racers Owners Organization (PRO) wholeheartedly and unanimously support this decision," said its president Kenny Bernstein. "We want to thank NHRA for listening to our input and suggestions to incorporate these changes. It is not lost on any of us that this constitutes a change in our history of running a quarter-mile, but it's the most immediate adjustment we can make in the interest of safety which is foremost on everyone's mind. This may be a temporary change and we recognize it is not the total answer. We will continue to work hand in hand with NHRA to evaluate other methods of making Top Fuel and Funny Car competition safer so that we might return to our quarter-mile racing standard. We also want to thank Connie Kalitta for his invaluable input. He has been a rock through these difficult times."