http://www.nhra.com/

after reading that, it sounds like they know what caused the tire shake, and john will drive the car into the same shake wonder what it was that caused it.

to John Force Racing!

 

I don't think they're testing during the event, it sounds like they'll be testing before the event, and no data aquisition during the testing, except anything to do with the head movement. They hired some Ex F1 experts to help them with what happened during the crash. So they've got the best of the best helping them. to JFR and trying to make the sport safer

 

WOW, just WOW...

JFR is unbelievable... and desrve big thumbs up!!!

 

I would like to see the tracks install walls something like Nascar has done

 

to ashley force

 

The reports that I have read say a few things that should be known. They did a bunch of computer renactments of the crash. Both with the old style cars and the new cars that they are testing on Thursday. The report says that Erics car hit the wall at around 120mph. Those speeds alone would not cause the injuries or the damage that was done to the car. The report from Good Year states that one of the tires got punctured causing the car to go into sever tire shake. This tire shake is what caused the chassis to come apart. Also the injuries that Eric sustained are very similar to those associated with Shaken Baby syndrome, Only much worse. They say that his head bounced from left to right very violently during the shake. That is what caused the brain injury. They also say that his helmet never struck the back of the roll cage nor was there any damage to the front of the helmet.
I think it says a lot about a man that is willing to put his whole business on hold in order to make the sport safer. Yes he is putting his daughter in a car but also is making the sport safer for everybody.

 

to team force

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by efi2nr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I would like to see the tracks install walls something like Nascar has done</TD></TR></TABLE>

Unfortunately, that was touched on in the phone conference and it sounds like NHRA has no plans to put them in. It seems it's another case of "wait until it kills someone and then we'll do it"

Here is the actual quote:
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Q. Graham, have you considered the installation of SAFER barriers on some of our tracks?

GRAHAM LIGHT: Well, we certainly look at what NASCAR is doing and so on. Their application is primarily in the corners, not the straightaways. In discussion with NASCAR, also the IRL, they were designed under a total different criteria than what our cars are, the speeds, the size of the car, so on. They don't think their exact application would work in our environment. But we are looking at that. We're looking at the possibility. Continue to look at everything. This particular incident was not -- soft walls wouldn't have changed the outcome unfortunately of this incident. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Big to John Force Racing for leading the way in safety innovations. This isn't the first time they've put significant resources into making cars <u>safer</u> instead of faster.

Mark my words, someone will die in the next 2 years in a top fueler when it snaps in half. NHRA continues to refuse to ignore this issue despite numerous cars breaking. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwglefKhZXo

 

It is crazy how many cars were shaking the tires in Florida. The track conditions were poor for funny cars. to the Force camp.

 

Very sad to see Eric pass away, the scary thing is that the speed it happened at we all see on the track..Any one of us could take a 120 mph impact and lose our lifes as well..Even though the stated the impact wasnt the cause of brian damage it still makes you think every time you go to the line that this this could be it..

Very happy to see the Force team taking the time to make the sport safer for everyone..Cant wait to watch them this weekend in Vegas!!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by efi2nr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I would like to see the tracks install walls something like Nascar has done</TD></TR></TABLE>

as good as that sounds, i dont know if the safer walls would help that much. quite rarely do cars take a wall head on. although it would be great to be safer on the 1/10,000 odds. not to mention that the tracks would have to be widened and thats A LOT of $$

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 92LSVTEC &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

as good as that sounds, i dont know if the safer walls would help that much. quite rarely do cars take a wall head on. although it would be great to be safer on the 1/10,000 odds. not to mention that the tracks would have to be widened and thats A LOT of $$</TD></TR></TABLE>

If they took into account a more progressive design where the first 1' of travel would account for a glancing blow and it got stiffer the further you got in I think it'd have major benefits. Mainly to prevent the whiplash like effect many drivers experience when contacting a wall.

But yes, it'd be a decent chunk of $$.

 

edited: should kept on reading. he hee. you touched on the walls. he hee sry.
either way to JFR and everyone involved.

 

Maybe the soft walls aren't such a good idea in drag racing. 90% of the time when they touch the wall they just let out and coast straight down the track. Eric's death wasn't from the impact with the wall right? It was a violent tire shake...he hit the wall as a result of the damage the tire shake did to his brain.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 4piston &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Maybe the soft walls aren't such a good idea in drag racing. 90% of the time when they touch the wall they just let out and coast straight down the track. Eric's death wasn't from the impact with the wall right? It was a violent tire shake...he hit the wall as a result of the damage the tire shake did to his brain.</TD></TR></TABLE>

The soft walls idea is in no way related to the Medlen crash. As i said, someone has to die as a result of an impact in the wall before they get put in. That's how NHRA's safety regulations work it seems. It's sad because it's only a matter of time before it does happen.

 

Wider tracks would make wrecks more dangerous. The narrower the track is, the less distance the car has to accelerate sideways before it hits the wall. The glancing blow is no big deal, the high lateral speed and impacting the stationary wall is a big deal. Sure, people might wreck more often with narrower tracks, but the wrecks would be less severe than with wider tracks.

Same thing goes for soft barriers, you don't want the barrier to wad up and collect the car, stopping it quickly. Its much, much better if the car lightly bounces off the wall, then skids to a stop just by the traction of the tires.

I'm really glad they have John Melvin working on this, he is one smart cookie who really has an appreciation for the compromises in a motorsports environment. Thumbs up to JFR.

Who knows, maybe NHRA will get some metallurgical opinions too and show them how 4130 is one of the worst material choices to weld safety equipment from (if there is no post heat treat).

Kevin

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by kiggly &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Wider tracks would make wrecks more dangerous. The narrower the track is, the less distance the car has to accelerate sideways before it hits the wall. The glancing blow is no big deal, the high lateral speed and impacting the stationary wall is a big deal. Sure, people might wreck more often with narrower tracks, but the wrecks would be less severe than with wider tracks.

Same thing goes for soft barriers, you don't want the barrier to wad up and collect the car, stopping it quickly. Its much, much better if the car lightly bounces off the wall, then skids to a stop just by the traction of the tires.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Well, that's what the soft barriers don't do (stop a car quickly). If you've watched many crashes with them cars do slide along them, they only deflect when the impact has a decent amount of energy.

Obviously with the NHRA they'd have to be fine tuned towards that sport but i don't think a solid concrete guardrail is the best solution.

On your idea of narrower lanes, what about putting a wall down the center? That'd minimize the amount of lateral momentum a car could get before hitting the other wall and contain it far better.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Who knows, maybe NHRA will get some metallurgical opinions too and show them how 4130 is one of the worst material choices to weld safety equipment from (if there is no post heat treat).
</TD></TR></TABLE>

As far as i know all of the pro cars are post treated. I agree with you though that 4130 is a terrible metal for this application as it does not deform at all to absorb the energy, just breaks. NASCAR uses mild steel for this very reason correct?

 

due to the findings that came about form this accident we have decided to not test this weekend and i am looking into hans device and new helmet and probably will begin making changes to my new car which is already balk halfed to go with a funny car style cage! with jeromy running 146 miles an hour in 1/4 mile it really make you think! god bless eric and jfr for trying to make racing safer! god bless! i hope that this is a wake up call to every racer and a reminder its not worth your life for a trophy if its not safe make it right before you race! my street car really moves around on the top of the track when i let off and i know its sure has scared me a bit!

 

Big Respect to John Force Racing

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 905_Legend &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Big Respect to John Force Racing </TD></TR></TABLE>

 

vegas is off the hook, they couldnt get the tires to shake one more chance i hope they find what they need to i really want to see force and family back out there! they sure got some catching up to do!

 

Pictures of the new configuration:




I expected the extra padding but the extra shielding is a good surprise.
I really would like to see what other changes they made.

 

one hell of an organization!! to JFR and all who helped!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 92LSVTEC &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">one hell of an organization!! to JFR and all who helped!</TD></TR></TABLE>

yup cant say that enough.