Avoiding or minimizing future tragedys RE: Russell

It was reported that Darrell, when removed from the car, had blood seeping from the back of his head. It sounds as if he underwent severe trauma from flying parts. It may or may not have contributed to his death. A similar event killed Ayrton Senna in Italy a number of years ago. F1 now requires a more pod like enclosure for the driver. This pod/seat device encapsulates the driver more than a conventional race seat. The driver, in the event of requiring extracation from the crashed car, remains fastened to the pod/seat which serves to provide firm support - as would a backboard -without the danger of worsening further spinal injury. I do not know if this would have helped Darrell but strongly suggest that if drivers were in more thoughtfully engineered cockpits their opportunity for survival would be considerably greater. All things considered there is much more time and attention paid to every other aspect of race car operation than the driver's safety and chance to make it through a crash. If we review a few of the crashes of the past couple of years - Scelzi, Schumaker, Smith, Dixon - I believe that luck was on their side. Unfortunately it takes an event like Sunday's to put the issue back on center stage. It is not only NHRA's duty to step up but also the chassis builders, owners and drivers themselves. It can't be that difficult to resolve.

 

In the cases of Scelzi, Shumaker, Smith, and Dixon changes did take place. I can only speak from the chassis shop side of things since my husband works for a builder. There is room for safety improvments but most add weight to the car which most crew chiefs are strongly opposed to. The builder tries to think of as many senarios as possible, but tragically they learn more from what happens in the real world. A couple of years ago drivers tubs were built inside of the chassis, the idea didn't catch on. (the weight thing again) There are crew chiefs that are very concerned about driver safety and will listen to any ideas the builder has. Darrell was a very nice person and will be greatly missed.

 

A simply solution to the problem is to reduce the size of the rear wings on a Top Fueler and reduce the spoiler on the nitro funny cars. With less downforce the Goodyears will hold up. The cars will slow down but do you think the fans care about whether the fueler run a 4.49 or 4.79. Besides the teams will find a way to go fast. It took about a year on the 90% nitro rule to get back running the same et's.

Paul Weiss

 

It blows me away that how after a Tragedy like this that everyone assumes NHRA will do nothing! Like they had better slow these things down today or all Hell will break loose!!!!!!!

 

The NHRA is doing something after the Darrell Russell Tragedy. They have outlawed the current Goodyear rear tire and made mandatory a titanium "cockpit shield"? The fact is Goodyear has been chasing these tire problems over 12 years now. Goodyear designs a better tire, the top fuel racers design a dual element wing. Goodyear redesigns their tire, the racers developes a triple element wing. Why are the tires coming apart? Downforce.

The NHRA was started over 50 years ago on the principle of SAFTEY, it amazes me they don't make safety liners and tubes mandatory on the nitro classes. I saw Paul Smith's Top Fuel dragsters years ago blow both rear tires in the lights and ride on the safety liners. I love watching the "big numbers" come up on the finishline boards, but I hate watching a Darrell Russell incident. So my vote is give up a little performance for a safer vehicle.

My regrets to the Russell family.

Paul Weiss

 

GoodYear used to make them, then they covinced the sanctioning bodies that there was no need for them. Hoosier has since developed a tubless liner that is in use on a lot of alky cars.It's the same type used on Nextel Cup cars. And from the word going around now they might not be allowed next year. They were fine when the blown cars were mainly on Hoosiers but now that a few of them have gotten the GoodYears to work they might not be allowed anymore.
If you really want to know why they are not using the liner system anymore just stop by the GoodYear truck at the races and ask them what they think of liners. I can tell you that they hate changing tires with any kind of liner in it.

 

let's not forget that all the tire companies will not mount a beadlock tire for you, they say it's for liability reasons!! but make no mistake-liner tires are a b*@#$h to mount!! last time I had a set of liner tires mounted at the races they charged 75.00 dollars to do it ,I would not mount liner tires for 75.00 dollars a set for a living!! and the beadlocks are not that hard to do yourself.

 

THERE IS NO SIMPLE WAY TO SLOW A TOP FUEL CAR- The arguements over gearing- wing size- tire etc. have been going on for a long time- Don't even think about a spec fuel pump!

 

goodyear did not hold the patent on the valve stem assem for the liner tube
thats why no more liners and tubes
i also heard the tube could not take the speed anymore either, would tear out the stem at speed

 

actually i believe it was dill rubber produts
and they were out of Canada some where
they held the patent on them
and they wanted to make some large amount of a run to make the tubes again
i do remembering hearing this also
But after watching the video as the tire came apart would a safety liner made a differance
would not the tire still tore up everthing pretty much the same, maybethe car would not have slid quite the same way down the track, as the liner tire would have kept the chassis up a few more inches, who knows if that would have made a differance