A bit of clarification for A/F racers regarding the new Leahy box

So do the A/Fuel cars have to install the current box/solenoids/pan switch?

Brandon Booher
NHRA TAD #44

 

Liability

I wonder if for some reason the NHRA mandated shutoff system fails to work properly and there is an accident if the liability is extended to the manufacturer? It might be something the manufacturer might consider since his is the only product mandated. Just curious.
I think the single shutoff is a good thing but I am concerned that a driver will get used to relying on it and if for some reason it fails and the time that it takes to realize it did not work might allow a car traveling at about 450 feet a second to run out of stopping room in a hurry. I would suggest that anyone driving a really fast car hit the panic switch but go through your normal shutdown routine just in case.

 

The Pros have all been saying they still do everything by hand. The box is only intended to be a safety net.

 

With the transmitter coming in to play I guess we'll need an override button in case you abort the run. Nothing like having the chutes out at 35 miles per hour.

I can't wait to see the look on Clint Thompson's face when some 12 year old hacks the system from his laptop in the grandstands and pops the chutes on his car at 1/2 track.

 

Time to take the drivers out, and just use remote control.

 

Thats a good one Robert! Thats what most tuners would do if given the chance.

 

there was a time when i was opposed to all the mandated safety equipment - then one day i realized the importance of it all. there's a story about a racer who asked a Zen Master "should i buy a seventy dollar helmet or a seven hundred dollar helmet". the Zen Master replied "do you have a seventy dollar head"?

 

Leahy Device

The Leahy device is good for drag racing.

It would be even better if it would activate if there was an impact....ie driver is out cold and car is under power.

JMHO

Mike L.

 

With the transmitter it will when you cross the finish line.

 

Anybody else remember Jack Ostrander at Pomona being knocked out from tire shake, I do.

 

nhra should issue or Lehey should issue instructions on how to use the box.
All you get is instalation instructions. I am all for the box but do think NHRA needs to inform all drivers and crewchiefs on the proper way to drive with this new shutoff box. Me thinks they think it is just suppose to work every time a driver makes a swipe at the switch. One car I have seen has a mniture momentary switch mounted up on the dash.
Maybe the best case is to open the chutes, grab the brake, then when you know you are going to stop turn the fuel off and then hit the switch for the box although I don,t think that was the purpose behind the new rule.
If you have an air line rupture, or switch malfunction I think you will have a problem. However if you forget to turn the air bottle on I don,t think the car will start.

 

The government mandates seat belts, shoulder harnesses, abs, air bags, traction controls. With all this I still see people upside down in the middle of a 25mph street. All the safety equipment in the world wont make a driver safer. I think it has the opposite effect.

 

Priceless

If I had known this safety box would be so unbelievably cheap, I would have had it before the rule mandate. Think about it. For the price of a blower belt and a sleeve of uppers, we just gained about 1.5 seconds of available reaction time in an emergency. in the 1.5 or so seconds it takes to realize the severity of a situation, the shut off, fuel off, and chutes are out. That will allow us to focus on stopping and getting the hell out instead of WTF!!
In my 20 plus years in a funny car, I've experienced more than I would like to have. I've had my bell rung and luckily shook it off in time to save everything more than once. Many have not been so lucky.It won't save everyone from every possibility, but I know there is more than 1 guy out there who wishes it had been available when their luck ran out.
This is just an old man's opinion, but my hat's off to Dave for designing it and making it affordable. .even to me!

 

We have a safety box on our Alky funny car in Australia, we broke number 2 rod on the weekend at 1000ft and the car just stopped,shutes out,fuel of mag killed i also believe it reduced the amount of carnage inside the pan. killed a motor last year about the same place on the track and we ended up with the car on its roof in the sand trap, and on fire with Matt trying to pull the car up in his own oil mess 200ft futhur down the breaking area. I personally reckon this device should be manditory. Dont have an opinion on the radio controlled deal.

Clarky

K Trans Racing
Western Australia

 

I have to go with Will on this one, when i got this box last year i thought great another pos to add to the car. after i hooked it all up and made it work, my first thought was wow... this really works fast and worked every time i made a situation for it to go off, I still think it is another thing on the car that adds weight, but given the choice i think i like it riding along with me.
I have had in the last 30 years a few bad deals, you dont always have the time to do the normal shut down procedure, ask yourself this
have you ever not tripped the chute levers the first time and had to go reach up and do it again, just that alone will mess you up
I am sure i will cuss it the first time one of the connectors fails or something else goes wrong but i still think i like the SB 001 riding along with this ole fat guy

I also believe that this is for if something goes wrong don't use it to shut the car down, do your normal thing and if something goes wrong pray it backs you up in case you can't

 

Hey Robert,

If you take the drivers out then there will be NO pro cars. The drivers supply the money!!... for the most part

SB