[DeTomaso] NPC - NHRA News

[michael at michaelshortt.com]

*IN case you haven't heard yet.*
**
*I think it's a ridiculous move and hope that it will be temporary until
they can develop a better catch system and do what really needs to be done,
shut down the tracks that were too cheap to plan ahead ( when speeds when up
300% and nothing was changed ) and buy more land to facilitate a safer,
longer and recoverable run off area.*
**
*Michael in Savannah*

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 complained that the runoff area at
the Englishtown track was not long enough.

The NHRA said the change was made in collaboration with the race teams.

"With the change, fans will still be able to enjoy the sights, sounds and
thrill of NHRA nitro racing with speeds around 300 mph and quick elapsed
times to 1,000 feet," the NHRA said in a statement.

The NHRA said it is looking at the following issues as it investigates
Kalitta's crash:

-- How to reduce engine failures.

-- Parachute mounting techniques and materials.

-- Increasing braking
efficiency<http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080702/FREE/686860405/1508/newsletter02#>when
downforce is lost due to a car body being lost.

-- New ways to stop runaway vehicles at the end of the track.

-- Considering the need to reduce speeds for more safety.

Drag racing legend Kenny Bernstein, president of the Professional Racers
Owners Organization, said the group supports the change.

"It is not lost on any of us that this constitutes a change in our history
of running a quarter-mile, but it's the most immediate adjustment we can
make in the interest of safety which is foremost on everyone's mind,"
Bernstein said in a statement. "This may be a temporary change and we
recognize it is not the total answer."

-- 
Michael L. Shortt
Savannah, Georgia
www.michaelshortt.com
michael at michaelshortt.com
912-232-9390


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