1320 is not 1320 anymore in NHRA for its Top Fuel and Funny Car classes

[Vedubin01]

By Dale Jewett | 07/02/08, 10:37 pm et
The NHRA has cut the race distance for its Top Fuel and Funny Car classes to 1,000 feet--320 feet short of a quarter-mile--as a safety measure in the wake of the death of racer Scott Kalitta nearly two weeks ago.
The shorter race distance takes effect with the Mopar Mile Hile Nationals in Denver, Colorado, on July 11-13.
Shortening the race distance will give the Funny Car and Top Fuel dragsters more runoff room after the finish line.
Kalitta died on June 21 in Englishtown, New Jersey, when his Funny Car engine exploded during a qualifying run. Kalitta's car ran off the end of the track, through a sand pit and crashed into a wall. The car's parachutes did not deploy. Kalitta, 46, was taken to a nearby hospital and declared dead.
After Kalitta's crash, several drivers...

[nando]

that's pretty stupid. racing is dangerous - nobody wants to die, but you're taking that risk. why don't they just make the strips 320 feet longer?

[moatilliatta]

werd

[Vedubin01]

Thats what I thought, maybe they dont own enough property to do so at all tracks.

and I do not think the extra 320 feet would have done anything to save Scott Kalitta.

[Justin B]

I understand why, but that is lame.

[z31maniac]

Let's just be like the Swiss and ban race tracks all together.

[cwsqbm]

Thats what I thought, maybe they dont own enough property to do so at all tracks.

and I do not think the extra 320 feet would have done anything to save Scott Kalitta.

+1 it wouldn't make any difference in Kalitta. The NHRA has tried many things to slow down the fuel cars, and the racers aways find a way to get around it. If anything, this rule will help the health of the drivers in that the deceleration shouldn't be quite as hard when the parachutes are used due to slightly lower speeds. Still, they got be doing at least 280 by the 1000 ft mark.

[dougsic]

There is a public road that runs across the property at Englishtown just past the wall that he ran into.

The track owns the land on the other side of the road but the county won't move the road.

[joshh]

Sounds like a way to "compromise" so tracks don't have to spend money on a safety feature they should already have at the end of every strip.
It's BS.

[318isbmw]

It may be temporary until the tracks can take the time in the offseason to lengthen the tracks.

[atomic]

Thats what I thought, maybe they dont own enough property to do so at all tracks.

and I do not think the extra 320 feet would have done anything to save Scott Kalitta.

I agree but they could have some sort of run off area that is a sand trap or something that would help slow the car down if needed you would think. Instead that track he was killed at had a embankment with a large piece of equipment to stop them. (at the NHRA & track operators...)

[Hairos E30]

It may be temporary until the tracks can take the time in the offseason to lengthen the tracks.

This might be true, but then again they might not have the room on half the tracks to do so...And when they do this its kinda gonna ruin the point of the race...

[TwistyTunedE30]

Another thing is there is a reason that funny cars have regulations, similar if your car has more than a certain amount of horsepower here at dinwiddie you have to have a driveshaft sling so you dont fuck up and explode your driveshaft etc. I know that his motor exploded however that is the main reason he wasnt stopped in time...I guess im saying teams should work better to have all the parachute crap more independent of the rest of the car in the event of an explosion its shielded, the triggering equiipment is shielded etc. Like a black box. Just IMO tho...

[NOMAD]

I think they should just do burnout contests. That way everyone is safe and fans lose more brain cells.

It's pretty rediculous to have a shorter distance that the cars will still trap the same 300mph speeds in. How is that less dangerous? They'll go faster in a shorter distance as the teams alter gearing etc. Bigger tires will come into play and someone else will become a 300mph ball of flame which another 320 feet will not save.

They should make exploding engines illegal. Why don't they just limit the cars to first gear. Or put a big sled with weight attached to it on the back like tractor pulls. It'd make about as much sense as shortening the track.