NHRA Top Fuel to 1000 feet, not 1320 feet

[craigels]

http://www.nhra.com/content/news/30355.htm

This is different... it will be interesting to see though.


Craig

[DeckerEnt]

This will instantly give an extra 320 feet of slow down area. I think it is a good move.
Keith

[Mista Bone]

Since the fuel cars pull so much timing after 3 seconds, Doubt you'll see much change in trap speeds. Pulling the timing though is getting the cylinders all mixed up and causing the explosions.

[beefcake]

it'll definately be interesting though, i'll miss the 1/4 mile

i don't know how many races are decided in the last 10 feet of that 1320

hopefully they'll return to it with some better track ideas

[cstreu1026]

I think it will be hard for fans to relate to since most are use to 1/8 or 1/4 mile tracks. Making it a 1000 ft race will probably be like converting people to the metric system.

[Jeff88coupe]

On a good run you will still see 300mph trap speeds at 1000'. NHRA's own rules to keep the speeds down to <330 have caused most of the engine problems for the fuel cars. They have max rpm limits and a rear end gear limit rule in both nitro classes. So for a TF car to go 320+ on the top end they are on the rpm limiter before the traps...this causes lot of issues in the motor...which is why you see all the problems on the top end.

[04 Venom]

It will make any difference in reaction times at the starting line all the more important. Good interim step, but I hope the NHRA will mandate longer shut-down areas or automatic deployment of the chutes in case of an explosion that Del Worsham put on his FC (which John Force also implemented), so 1320 racing resumes.

[nskaats]

I don't know how well this is going to go over with the fans. I agree that the NHRA's current limits are causing most of the engine problems, but again we run into issues with the people making the rules not really understanding how the engines work or the problems that their restrictions have caused.

As a long time fan that grew up around fuel cars since about the time I could walk....I'm not pleased. Let's focus more on driver and vehicle safety, not an illusion of safety by making up BS rules and restrictions.

[93cobra]

they need to make longer shut downs at these facilities & keep it 1/4....if a track dosen't want to change or is not able to...sorry....replace the stop on the tour with a place that can & will bring in 7 digits over 4 days

1/8 mile & 1000' drag racing is stupid....

may as well go racing the billy dirt drags at your local fair grounds ...i think they are @ 300'....

[04 Venom]

they need to make longer shut downs at these facilities & keep it 1/4....if a track dosen't want to change or is not able to...sorry....replace the stop on the tour with a place that can & will bring in 7 digits over 4 days

1/8 mile & 1000' drag racing is stupid....

may as well go racing the billy dirt drags at your local fair grounds ...i think they are @ 300'....

:rockon:

[92BlackStang]

why take the risk i say detune the cars to not run all out and blow up like something stupid.,, I think they should keep the 1320 and just slow the cars down its that simple..

[92BlackStang]

1/4 miles is drag racing not 1000ft

[1byafender]

why take the risk i say detune the cars to not run all out and blow up like something stupid.,, I think they should keep the 1320 and just slow the cars down its that simple..

stupid. whos going to control how much to detune them. there going to push the tuning issue no matter how much power or engine size or anything else you tell them to. thats what they get paid to do. this just gives them time to improve the safety issues they have.

[IWRBB]

They will go back to the 1/4, and have stated that already. They are doing this to try to decrease the chances of losing another driver while they make changes to tracks, cars, whatever.

TF dragsters are actually on the limiter a lot longer than the FCs. Engine explosions aren't nearly as dangerous with it behind the driver, but it seems like the biggest explosions have actually come from the dragsters in the last few years, ripping them right in half quite a few times. The FCs themselves usually hold together with a big explosion, it's just that little difference of having the engine blow up in your lap and you can't see a damn thing.

[Timido]

Ever see some real 1/8th mile outlaw and pro mod racing. I think it takes more skill than you think. 1000ft I bet the cars will still be within .1 or .2 of what they run now

[nskaats]

I think if they really did want to limit the power and speed, the safest way to do it would be by limiting the size of the engines or raising the minimum weight of the vehicles.

[Timido]

Raising the weight on these cars is dangerous also. Higher weight =more and higher forces durring a wreck. People will go fast with anything.

[92BlackStang]

stupid. whos going to control how much to detune them. there going to push the tuning issue no matter how much power or engine size or anything else you tell them to. thats what they get paid to do. this just gives them time to improve the safety issues they have.
well stupid, for one the person tunin the cars can detune them dont ya think. why run something all out and blow up, when you can slow them down and still have good racing..

[boostforever]

they detune nascars,why not top fuel cars.same idea there guy.

[Mista Bone]

They have detuned the nitro cars.

Timing retard starts at thre seconds and then a 8500 rpm revlimiter.

4.0 @ 300 mph at the 1000, alot easier on parts since your not banging of the revlimiter for the last 200 feet

[Mista Bone]

“The board members of the Professional Racers Owners Organization (PRO) wholeheartedly and unanimously support this decision,” said its president Kenny Bernstein. “We want to thank NHRA for listening to our input and suggestions to incorporate these changes. 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. This may be a temporary change and we recognize it is not the total answer. We will continue to work hand in hand with NHRA to evaluate other methods of making Top Fuel and Funny Car competition safer so that we might return to our quarter-mile racing standard. We also want to thank Connie Kalitta for his invaluable input. He has been a rock through these difficult times.”



........

[RIXXX93GT]

To me its a strange reaction to what happened, unless they found that the brakes were engaged on that car which it didnt look like to me. I doubt 320 extra feet would have changed the outcome of that crash. Tuners job is to push the car to its limit on useable horsepower, the engine explosions will continue.

[1byafender]

well stupid, for one the person tunin the cars can detune them dont ya think. why run something all out and blow up, when you can slow them down and still have good racing..

No shit. Stupid I never said they could not detune the cars. What I said was whos going to control it. You have one guy detune his and the other guy not whats going to happen retard.

[barkey]

To me its a strange reaction to what happened, unless they found that the brakes were engaged on that car which it didnt look like to me. I doubt 320 extra feet would have changed the outcome of that crash. Tuners job is to push the car to its limit on useable horsepower, the engine explosions will continue.

Connie is saying the brakes were engaged there were front tire skid marks all the way at the end and alan reinhart said he was driving it until impact

[1byafender]

they detune nascars,why not top fuel cars.same idea there guy.

Dude I been watching nascar a long time. I didnt know they detuned there engines. Those guys look for horsepower however they can get. I will agree that they have to put a tune on it that will make it last all weekend, but they push those engines has much has they can. With nhra those guys rebuild after ever race so they just tune to get about 4.5 seconds of full throtle out of it. They dont care if it blows up. Now if nhra started limiting motors like one motor a weekend or one for qualifing and one for racing then I belive you would see a big change.

[nskaats]

Raising the weight on these cars is dangerous also. Higher weight =more and higher forces durring a wreck. People will go fast with anything.

True, I didn't think about that. I guess the other downfall would be more inertia which is harder to stop. Maybe the only really safe solution would be to limit engine size.

Guys, all this talk about detuning the cars is lacking one thing. You have to have someone policing it. These guys are out there to go as fast as possible, push their cars to the limits, win races and make money. Go tell all the crew chiefs to detune the cars...see what happens.

[1byafender]

True, I didn't think about that. I guess the other downfall would be more inertia which is harder to stop. Maybe the only really safe solution would be to limit engine size.

Guys, all this talk about detuning the cars is lacking one thing. You have to have someone policing it. These guys are out there to go as fast as possible, push their cars to the limits, win races and make money. Go tell all the crew chiefs to detune the cars...see what happens.

Thats what I have been trying to tell them. thanks

[Timido]

Restrictor plate racing.

[RIXXX93GT]

Connie is saying the brakes were engaged there were front tire skid marks all the way at the end and alan reinhart said he was driving it until impact

Didnt know that, is the shut down area that short at Englishtown?

[Mista Bone]

Engine was still running on it's own engine oil which gets nitro mixed in during the run. No wayto stop a runaway like that.

Drove right thru the brakes......

[Katmandu]

Dude I been watching nascar a long time. I didnt know they detuned there engines. Those guys look for horsepower however they can get.x2 Restrictor plates. Nascar drivers also have to drive for fuel efficiency as well. Need to make it to the end.

It's going to be weird......Instead of folks asking ...."Hey, what's it do in the quarter ?" It'll be......"Hey, what's it do in the 1000 ?"

BTW, how much fuel will be saved shaving off 320 feet ? :rolleyes:

[Mista Bone]

not the fuel that will be saved, but the parts that are damaged from banging on the limiter for 300 feet.

Crowds would never know the differnce!

[8banger]

In IMO..all is needed is MORE room at he end and better ways of controlling an out-of-controll car...deeper longer,wider sand pit,,,safety netting that reacts like a rubber band so to speak after the sand pit...hell even those foam blocks to slow the car if it makes it through the sand and netting ....remote ignition cut offs...soon as the car traps the stripe... kills the engine(for a WOT scenio)... and belive it or not I've contacted NHRA on these very things back in 2001 ,,when My best friend at Edgewater was killed in a WOT deal and had no where to stop other than the trees at the end...keep it 1/4 and figure out how to stop these cars safely....

[beefcake]

not the fuel that will be saved, but the parts that are damaged from banging on the limiter for 300 feet.

Crowds would never know the differnce!

you don't think it'll be the same, they'll be trying to squeeze out whats left from 800 to 1000 now instead of 1100 to 1300

[Mista Bone]

pretty much at traction's limit......

[Black Horse]

So they will start the record books from scratch.....

[Mista Bone]

so with the shorter runs, less fuel will be used, so VP is hiking the price of Nitro AGAIN.

http://www.competitionplus.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7052&Itemid=6

[IWRBB]

NHRA banned all testing earlier this year due to a lack of nitromethane. Apparently there is a worldwide shortage of the stuff. They will be lucky to have enough to finish the season, even without doing testing.

[Mista Bone]

no shortage at all.

Dow chemical won't sell to NHRA because NHRA doesn't have the needed safety standards.

Vp is the only allowed nitro supplier, Don Shumacher has PLENTY of nitro but it's not from VP, therefore it's not allowed for use.

[Mista Bone]

Wait until all the info comes out about DART suing B. Glidden and J. Hump about things said on the internet.

J Hump countered with a 250 MILLION lawsuit

[RIXXX93GT]

Off subject but whats this I hear about Bob Glidden being hospitalized?

[jfiscus]

I would think that the logical solution would be something that is engaged when a car hits a "point of no return" on the track that a normal car would not hit. Like a big air bag deploys in front of that area for the car to hit. Or put a drag hook on the car and make it catch a a cable like a plane on an aircraft carrier does to stop.

[IWRBB]

no shortage at all.

Dow chemical won't sell to NHRA because NHRA doesn't have the needed safety standards.

Vp is the only allowed nitro supplier, Don Shumacher has PLENTY of nitro but it's not from VP, therefore it's not allowed for use.

That's not what Don Schumacher said in person on TV. He said there is a worldwide shortage of the stuff, and that he has a limited amount on hand (50 barrels IIRC) that he sells to other race teams outside of NHRA and supplies would be tight for him as well to make it through the year. The same stuff he got fined for having in his pits during a NHRA event.

So if there's no shortage according to you, why did the NHRA ban all nitro testing for FC and TF?

[04 Venom]

Dow chemical won't sell to NHRA because NHRA doesn't have the needed safety standards.


I don't understand. What does Dow claim the safety issues are?

[bestracing]

x2 Restrictor plates. Nascar drivers also have to drive for fuel efficiency as well. Need to make it to the end.

It's going to be weird......Instead of folks asking ...."Hey, what's it do in the quarter ?" It'll be......"Hey, what's it do in the 1000 ?"

BTW, how much fuel will be saved shaving off 320 feet ? :rolleyes:
Restrictor plates won't do much with a forced induction motor, they'll just up the RPM's of the blower to make up for the restriction. There's an interview with Dale Armstrong about this whole thing and his suggestion is to lower the static compression ratio and make it a rule like 6:1 or 6.5:1 instead of the 7.2:1 range they are running now. Makes more sense to me.

[nskaats]

+1 for compression ratios. If they're going to limit the speed of the cars, dropping the compression would be a safe way to do it. Limit compression, boost, and cubes and you wont have any ways around the rules.

I'm still not a big fan of limiting the cars. I think it's BS. They need to focus on making the tracks safer. Has there been any explanation for why there was a solid barrier at the end of the track instead of a sand trap, field, or another safety device for runaway cars?

[Mista Bone]

I don't understand. What does Dow claim the safety issues are?

http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/84/i48/8448notw2.html

[PonymanfiveO]

looks like its 1000' for the rest of the year boys. :(

IMO, they need to slow them down not shorten the track.

[nskaats]

Let them keep developing and pushing the cars, but lengthen the track.

Watched a 1000' race last night....it's not the same even on TV.

[beefcake]

Let them keep developing and pushing the cars, but lengthen the track.

Watched a 1000' race last night....it's not the same even on TV.

yep, i don't like it at all

[Mista Bone]

I don't mind the shorter races, they have been tighter.

Just make the class run on alky if you wanna slow them down........which would be stupid.