Thread: Scott Kalitta crash

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Sad news...I feel sick. I am stunned. Darryl Russell, Eric Medlen, Doug Herbert's kids, and now Scott Kalitta. We have chat going on about this at my site of www.dragchat.com if you are interested.

I work with Doug Kalitta's brother in law and have been in their pits...they are very nice people.

They had an interview today with Jim Head, thought he offered up a reasonable solution.... If tracks like Englishtown, built when fuelers were still at or below 200MPH don't have an long enough shut down area, then shorten the race to 1,000 ft or even to an eighth mile....

I'm with Mike on the catch fence idea, too. Back in my Air Force days I watched an F-4 land hot and go into the barrier, it worked great... A bit late for Scott, but if improved safety can somehow be a result of his death.....

Wow, I just heard about Scott and what horrible loss.

I just saw him run in the Summit Nats. at The Strip in Vegas last April.

Its just hard to believe he's gone.

RIP:
Scott Kalitta
1962-2008


Larry M.

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

I'm with Mike on the catch fence idea, too.

There was a net there today.

I was trying to look at the vid on you tube and it states its no longer available due to a claim by NHRA....

I just clicked on the link I provided and it works.

Originally Posted by 737Pilot

I just clicked on the link I provided and it works.

The one of Johnny West ? I was talking about the Kalitta crash on page 1.

Originally Posted by ceh383

There was a net there today.

No offense but you're kidding right?

That net will stop a pro stock bike MAYBE!

Fact is that Graham Light and the NHRA heads should be hanging in shame. Im for the NHRA but they have been 'reactive' in too many instances. Dels crash as well as others should have prompted a proactive/reaction from the sanctionong body to keep this kind of thing from happening. I know there are dangers that cant be avoided but shutdown area minimum standards are long overdue. The NHRA strives for NASCAR type legitimacy and this kind of crappy management is why they arent there.

Originally Posted by Mike in Motown

No offense but you're kidding right?

That net will stop a pro stock bike MAYBE!

Fact is that Graham Light and the NHRA heads should be hanging in shame. Im for the NHRA but they have been 'reactive' in too many instances. Dels crash as well as others should have prompted a proactive/reaction from the sanctionong body to keep this kind of thing from happening. I know there are dangers that cant be avoided but shutdown area minimum standards are long overdue. The NHRA strives for NASCAR type legitimacy and this kind of crappy management is why they arent there.

For once I have to agree with you. Englishtown is antiquated and land locked and the same holds true for a lot of the older strips. Probably the reason they're running at Norwalk this weekend instead of Columbus.

Originally Posted by Mike in Motown

No offense but you're kidding right?

That net will stop a pro stock bike MAYBE!

Fact is that Graham Light and the NHRA heads should be hanging in shame. Im for the NHRA but they have been 'reactive' in too many instances. Dels crash as well as others should have prompted a proactive/reaction from the sanctionong body to keep this kind of thing from happening. I know there are dangers that cant be avoided but shutdown area minimum standards are long overdue. The NHRA strives for NASCAR type legitimacy and this kind of crappy management is why they arent there.

No, not kidding. I didn't see the net there on Saturday, it was there on Sunday. You're right, it probably wouldn't stop one of these cars. It MIGHT slow it down enough to give the driver a slight chance at survival. Yes there should be minimum safety standards set for shut down areas. Driver safety should be the top priority and I hope they find better ways than NASCAR did. NASCAR's approach to safety over the years has been much the same as the NHRA's, nothing happens until someone dies or gets seriously injured.

I really like the equipment that runs at NHRA races but the decision makers of that association are a bunch of frigging MORONS, talk about having ones head up their ass! They are the poster children for people with 2 brains ............. one lost and the other out looking for it.

The shut down area is the last chance a driver has to survive, and for me if it takes a pillow the size of freight train to stop an out of control rocket @ 300+ with a knocked out driver, then it should be mandatory and the track owners can just suck it up.

That was a huge waste of a life, look at the it car was going straight against the wall and was fine until it hit a CONCRETE WALL, gee doesn't a concrete wall sound like a soft landing, makes me pucker. Save the trees and road behind the track at the expense of the driver...............BRILLANT!

It has been mentioned that the 300+ cars be limited to 1/8 or 1000 ft runs, well we know how that goes, the teams will figure out a way to go maybe 400 and we would be back to the emergency shut down problems again.

Remember the 80% nitro fix................. Yeah that lasted didn't it

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

They had an interview today with Jim Head, thought he offered up a reasonable solution.... If tracks like Englishtown, built when fuelers were still at or below 200MPH don't have an long enough shut down area, then shorten the race to 1,000 ft or even to an eighth mile....

I'm with Mike on the catch fence idea, too. Back in my Air Force days I watched an F-4 land hot and go into the barrier, it worked great... A bit late for Scott, but if improved safety can somehow be a result of his death.....

Dave, I hadn't thought about this in those terms, but you're right. Many of these tracks were laid when speeds were 200 mph. Pomona is another case in point. NHRA has limited the size of the rear tires, the ring and pinion ratio and cut back on the percentage of nitromethane, but the ingenuity of the racers overcomes these limitations. Shortening the race to something less than 1,320 feet seems to be the best and most economical solution. "Thousand foot drags" has a pretty nice ring to it.

There are several fuel pilots who have been forced to give up the sport because the tremendous negative "G" force from the chutes at the big end have detached the retinas in their eyes. That's why you usually don't see both chutes deployed at exactly the same time.

Originally Posted by techinspector1

Dave, I hadn't thought about this in those terms, but you're right. Many of these tracks were laid when speeds were 200 mph. Pomona is another case in point. NHRA has limited the size of the rear tires, the ring and pinion ratio and cut back on the percentage of nitromethane, but the ingenuity of the racers overcomes these limitations. Shortening the race to something less than 1,320 feet seems to be the best and most economical solution. "Thousand foot drags" has a pretty nice ring to it.

There are several fuel pilots who have been forced to give up the sport because the tremendous negative "G" force from the chutes at the big end have detached the retinas in their eyes. That's why you usually don't see both chutes deployed at exactly the same time.

I ran two seasons on an 1/8 mile strip.... It's so much easier on the equipment, about all that big top end charge in the last 1/8 does is kill engines and add speed..... I can't say I'd like to see all of NHRA go to 1/8 mile, but the 1,000 foot deal that Jim Head mentioned IMO would be the answer....a heck of a lot cheaper then all the short shutdown tracks having to buy more real estate and extend their tracks..... Even my old 7.90 rear engine digger got really hairy on the big end at some of the short shut down tracks. Ran it on the 1/8 and it was just as much fun, but a whole lot easier on parts.

Maybe 1,000 ft. drags in the fuel classes would do away with some of the big fires and blower explosions, too... Might not only be a safety factor (though they're still running 250 plus at the 1,000 ft timers), but help control the cost a little bit, too..... In my racing, anytime I banged an engine it was from 1,000 ft and out.....

I have to disagree on shortening the tracks. This sport is based on a 1/4 mile. The whole essence of this sport is to go as fast as you can so you can beat the other guy. Why not just shorten the track to 300' or 60', then you are guaranteed no or very little crashes, very little risk to injury, cheaper and so on....but guess what?...the stands will be empty.

These drivers make the conscience decision to get into the cockpit knowing the risks....who are we to tell them they need to slow down or shorten the track? Jim Head made the comment about how it is "scarier than hell to go 330mph" If he is truely scared, he needs to retire OR there are plenty of other divisions in the NHRA that he can switch to that run considerably slower cars. I watch these cars because they go 4.42 seconds and 338mph and register a 2.0 on the richter scale. I am not in the stands watching the slower cars of bracket racing (although I'm quite sure it is very fun from the drivers seat). If they slow these cars down or shorten the tracks, they will lose this fan.

They need to learn from this crash and find a new and better way to stop these cars. Perhaps different parachutes, parachutes that can be remotely contolled by a crew person in the event that an explosion occurs and the driver is too busy handling the car and cannot deploy them, different braking system, different stopping medium...the sand just proves to flips cars over and not stop them very well, no concrete poles or barriers at the end of tracks, longer shutdown areas, and so on. There are so many ways to improve this, yet we automatically say slow them down. I don't get it. I doubt Kalitta would want to shorten the track or slow them down. Just my 2 cents.

ive met scott over in seattle he was a great guy. all i can think of right now is instead of being sad, is to get that dang oll racecar fired up tomorrow. i dont really know why we do the things we do. we race and the risk is always there no matter a 13 second car or a 4 second car. kind of like what tolliver said. its there, but you cant dwell on it or else you will never find the cahones to get back in there and go for it. and at least scott got to go doing what he liked that however does not dampen the sadness felt today. i really feel for connie right now. i cant imagine how bad it is to watch your kid go. may scott rest, not in peace, but with the candles lit and a smile on his face........scooter





i believe joe amato retired because of the retnia deal.