Sandtrap question?

When did they put a net that is not retrackable (like on an aircraft carrier) in the middle of the sandtraps? Why have a sandtrap at all if you have a stationary net in the middle that acts like a brick wall? When I first watch Niver's run I though he was going to get it stopped... I least that's what it looked like on tv. When he went into the sand it seem like he was floating on top of it, like the sand was hard. Is the net in the middle retractable and just failed? If not it should be. We lost a great guy that in my opinion this tragedy could have been avoided

 

sandtrap?

I checked the shutdown area at Seattle just like I do at every track I run on. A little tidbit taught to me by Frank Hawley a long time ago. The 'sandtrap' at Pacific Raceways is NOT sand- it's pea gravel. Seems like real honest to god sand that is periodically worked up with a rototiller would work better than pea gravel. Dave Germain

 

after Mark crashed, befor the tractor hooked onto his car there was no tracks in the gravel. Marks car was not at a high rate of speed when he went into it so if they had preped the gravel a little better or if the used sand (sand trap!) the car wouldn't have even made to the net. When his car did make it the wheelie bar dug in so the car could not be sling shoot backwards. When the tractor went to tow the car out it didn't even make a mark in the gravel and when they hooked onto the car they had a heck of a time trying to pull it back because of the wheelie bar. So Dave the aircraft carrier ideal would work great. They can make all race's 1/8 mile but who to say whats going on with the driver. Health problems Ect.

 

Sandtrap safety nets.

I have spent alot of time studying accidents that involved cars going into the safety nets and have noticed some scarey similartities,
1. In each case the net actually launches the car into the air,
2. The top rope and net never goes slack to absorb the energy,
3. The nets are not able to stop a car going at a high rate of speed, they are kept so taught the car runs right through.
While in the Navy, I didn't service the equipment, but as a flightdeck firefighter we had to become familiar with both shipboard and shore based aircraft arresting equipment.
Since Scott Kallitta's accident I have been working on a design for an arresting system that will address each issue, I just don't know who to talk to about it... If someone knows who to present it to please let me know! Is it NHRA, the track owners, do the owners have an association that meets periodically? Through my business I could build and install the system I've designed at any track in only a couple weeks.
I would very much like to submit my design to the right people, if someone can tell me who the right people are.
What I do know is these tragic accidents need to stop, it's costing us to many great people.

 

DJ2346,

I think your project has alot of warrent, but to get through the NHRA buracrcy is going to be harder than making the product. My suggestion would be to contact John Force. He has the clout to make things happen.

 

This is my first post, so hope it goes through. I met Mark back in the mid 70s when we both had AA/DAs and ran Pro Comp. That being said, my observation of the net revealed that it is not a net at all. Only a wall with holes. Did anyone notice that the top cable did not deflect very much - hardly moved at all. As far as net design, there are a number of other considerations than just working hardware, such as environment, who maintains system, must be 100% reliable, testing etc.

Trying to get it through the gods at Glendora will never happen. They have a "not invented here" mentality. But going through Force or possibly PRO and maybe SFI would be the way to present a viable plan.

Chuck Rearick
hotshoe495@yahoo.com
495 Jr. Fuel
495 AA/DA (ret)

 

I had a top end crash in 2001,I was making a licence pass and it was my first 200mph+ run. I hit the nets at about 180-190 and to the side,not the middle, and it threw me into the second one. I have had concern's since about top end crash's,I lost a good friend Jon Reynolds to one a year after my crash,and now Mark..
I have seen several drivers do the same thing I did,and drive it in the side of the trap,one even hit the wall in the trap.
I think they need to send new drivers to a track like shrevport la,it's 2 miles long and you can stop it there.But teach a guy how to hit the nets,I'm sure not many people know to do just what Mark did. He got the car right in the center,looked like he was ready for the net.

They need to do something about top end safety in general. It's like when Ron Capps was up on the top end and Ashley's doin her burnout. Dont they have people up and down that track with radio's?? I could go on and on about thing's I've seen up there and it's a joke!!!! And it's at every track I go to..

 

Sand

I don't want to start some kind of war, but after a whole bunch of racers went down to the end of the track, before running, and noticed the shape the trap was in, nobody said anything to NHRA or track officials and ran at it anyway?

 

Observation

A lot has been said about the catch nets working for full bodied cars but not dragster, however I was watching both Mark's and Alexis' accidents and noticed that both cars folded up. So I thought that I would watch Marty Nothstein's accident and saw that his car kicked sideways just before hitting the nets.

Just an observation, but it almost appears that if your are going to hit the nets to do so a little off angle. I know that when I drove cars I was always told to hit the trap straight on.

I don't know now.

 

It has been a few years now since a good friend of mine had an incident with the trap and catch nets.... He went into the trap off square at quite a high rate of speed, the front tire caught the gravel and hooked the car flipping it into cart wheels clearing the catch nets and landing rubber side down on the turf behind the trap.... These methods of stopping a car failed in every conceivable way, something has to be better. I am speaking of Al Billes and the accident he had while driving the Summit Stratus ProMod, the chutes failed (didn't bloom and got caught under the wheelie bar), the car started bouncing while hard on the brakes and into the gravel he went.