Was just reading some of NDRA's rules and they want you to pull the chute if you go over 150 mph, if not possibility of disqualification. if you are not sure pull it. This does not apply to all sanctioning bodies does it. I will have to go reread all the rules in nhra,idrc,etc.. just wanted to fill those on the bubble in.

 

NHRA does not specify anything like that for any class

 

that is what i thought.............i guess Lieberman wants everyone to look "fast and furious" for TV. hehe

 

some NHRA prostock cars dont even pull the chute every time

 

well last i heard is that nhra and ndra are going to mandate all fwd cars that go 150+ mph hit the chute from now on. in lite of lisa kubo's rear end coming up off the ground.

look at nhra's rule book on page 41 in the hot rod class.... "mandatory on any car running 150 mph or faster. see general regulations 4:8."

and on the last page on ndra's rule book.

 

packing the chute sucks...if thats true, im gonna have 2 chutes...a tiny one for looks and the real one in case I actually need it.

 

That sounds like a potentially dangerous rule.

 

questoin for you earl, how does that rule sound dagerous? just wondering.

 

I think it's a good rule. Our cars are so heavy up front and light in the rear that trying to stop them at 170mph can get pretty scary. Using the chute is a much safer way to slow down and packing it is just part of the game. Who ever thought you would see the day that civics do stoppies at the end of the quarter!

 

Most strips we have run (other than Carlsbad) have had enough room to shut down safely without using our chute (156mph best so far). The one time we popped it, the chute got caught up in a cross wind that pushed it into a fence and tore it. Just seems like you could be pushed into a dangerous situation for the wrong reason. Let's face it, most of the import drivers are still learning their skills. An inexperienced driver could be put into a spot to get hurt for no real reason. I could be wrong

 

But then again, how many "inexperienced" drivers will be behind the wheel of a 8-9 sec Honda? I would expect with that much invested, you'll find a decent driver!

 

anyone with money can be a bad driver in a fast car

 

Man, that means I am gonna have to get a designer happy face chute!, got to style yo... Jason

 

Take John Lingenfelter, for example. All the experience in the world and I watched him stab the gas pedel when he should not have. Not that this is the same situation but why force a chute pop if it is not necessary to stop?

 

Aw come on, Mike...................
I've packed about 700 parachutes......
Oh wait.............you mean THAT kind of parachute
-Ben

 

NHRA rules only mandate the chute be installed (and operable, by implication) at 150 mph. You may be asked to pull the handle sometime in the pits, just to see if there really is a useable chute inside (you'd be surprised what's been found inside chute packs over the years!), but rules won't mandate pulling it at a particular mph. That's up to the driver to decide.

I think Tony's right though, a driver of a fast car should make it a habit to pull the chute. Even if you have lots of shut off area, pull the darn thing. Make it unconscious. And even though packing it every run may be a pain, it also means that it gets inspected every run, and doesn't get mildewed and heavy being stuffed in the pack all the time. (Meaning the one time you DO need it, it won't blossom.) So many Pro Stock drivers can testify that pulling the chute early saved them in an out of shape situation. If you're not accustomed to pulling it by habit, might not be able to reach it in an emergency. OK, off my soapbox.

 

Haha...I know Ben, that was going to be my first post that im going to have you as the "pro chute packer". But you and I know all the stories you have told me of your packing....crazy sob. Ohhhh, its ok that theres no pilote chute. Lets just have a guy hang off the wheeliebars and throw the chute in the wind. That actually sounds a little safer then doing it out of an airplane.

 

Yeah, I'd end up being the guy on the wheelie bars, right?

What if I just pulled my chute, and let you keep on rolling?

 

How potentially dangerous is pulling the chute?

 

haha...we should make something like that to launch you up off the back of the car. I dont think pulling it is as dangerous at all. I have only pulled ours once to test it during a full speed run. It was on a super windy day at Palmdale. When the chute caught wind, the wind end shook around pretty hard. Then when I stoped at the end of the track on the return road, the wind caught it and pulled it into the fence before I could get out of the car and put it back in for the return road. Kinda sucked. I remember Daves crx with the turbo mags parachute on it. When he pulled that one, he spun around 360deg. with it. Pretty crazy.

 

yeah, that's what I mean....I saw a run with steph pulling chute...his *** came off teh ground completely. I was jsut wondering if they are prone to take teh wind and pulling your car off the to teh sides(like a 360 degree turn)

 

we've seen it happen with Rados car as well. I wouldnt worry about it since we are fwd cars. You can steer out of most of it and if it really does pick you up enough to spin you around, you might have the mounting point in the wrong place. I think it should not pull pulled in the wind and I would never again pull it in any kind of wind.

 

So by the NDRA rule above, if you went over 150mph on a windy day, you could be disqualified

 

better then break parts, crashing your car or having to replace a chute again cause it gets torn in the fence.

 

great info guys. some questions:
1) Looking at vids on Venoms site, it looks like Bruce is pulling the chute while he is still at WOT, is this a 'trick' to make the transition a little mor e stable?
2) what is the preferred height to install a parachute? I get enough excitement trying to auto-x my way down the 1/4 , I could do without the "endo"