NHRA nitro drivers form safety committee

In what many may see as long-overdue, the professional drivers who make up the top two classes on the NHRA POWERade tour have established a new Drivers' Safety Committee, which will analyze key safety issues that confront the teams participating in the Top Fuel and Nitro Funny Car classes. The committee plans to work closely with the Professional Racers/Owners Organization (PRO) and its President, Kenny Bernstein, to maintain an on-going focus on driver safety and an open dialogue with NHRA regarding the possible implementation of new policies.

As part of the committee's formation, the professional nitro class drivers have elected Bob Vandergriff Jr. to the position of Chairman, while also naming Larry Dixon as the Top Fuel representative, and Ron Capps as the representative for the Funny Car drivers. Dixon and Capps are charged with gathering input from the drivers in their respective groups, while the committee as a whole will prioritize the various issues facing the 300-mph, nitro-fueled classes.

"We plan to work very closely with Kenny and the entire PRO organization, who have accomplished countless numbers of great things for our sport, many of which have gone unnoticed," said Vandergriff, after accepting the position of Chairman for the group. "PRO has a wide variety of responsibilities, and we thought it would be best for all of the drivers in the sport's two fastest classes to have a unified voice as we go forward. All of us want to make the sport as safe as it can be, and the drivers who strap into these Top Fuel Dragsters and Funny Cars have the most at stake when it comes to accomplishing that.

"By coming together as a group, really for the first time, we'll be able to focus on what the most immediate and most important issues are, and then work closely with PRO and NHRA to see what we can do about instituting any changes that might be necessary. Over the years, we've always shared our opinions and ideas when we're out of our cars, but by getting together in a more formal way, with three drivers representing the whole contingent, we can have that unified voice.  By working with PRO and NHRA, we can all make the sport better and safer, and I know everyone cares deeply about that."

Funny Car drivers Del Worsham and Capps were instrumental in creating the foundation for the committee, by originally convening a meeting of the nitro class drivers at the Sonoma race, in late July. After the tragic death of Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta, in June, the subject of driver safety took on an all-new sense of urgency, and it was Worsham and Capps who organized the initial gathering and a subsequent meeting in Reading, Pa. The group collectively decided to move forward with an election for representatives, and that vote was concluded this week.

Vandergriff, Dixon, and Capps plan to move quickly to present their initial plans and recommendations to PRO at this week's upcoming Mac Tools US Nationals, in Indianapolis.

A big tip of the Agent’s fedora to these racers for stepping up and taking a more active part in these issues. This could mark the beginning of a new day in drag racing. [8/27/2008]

NHRA modifies Indy top-end safety features

NHRA has modified the top end at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis before the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals will be contested this weekend. The system includes four foot-high concrete walls on each side of the sand trap, replacing two foot-high steel Armco guardrails.  

Atop the concrete walls is an eight-foot high catch fence on both sides of the track, making the total height from the ground to the top of the fence 12 feet. The catch fences on the sides and at the end of the track are similar to what is used in speedway ovals in stock car and open wheel racing.

The entire trap measures 240 feet and is filled with small pea gravel.  A six-foot high net is placed 190-feet into the sand trap, followed by a 12-foot high net at 215 feet. The distance from the second net to the catch fence is an additional 25 feet. The catch fence at the end of the sand trap is 19-feet tall.

In addition, experts from the University of Nebraska, creators of the SAFER wall barriers currently used in stock car and open wheel racing, will consult with NHRA officials and members of the racing community this weekend on additional recommendations for improving safety. (photos courtesy NHRA) [8/27/2008]

Glidden goes a quarter!

During Gateway International Raceway's annual gigantic Mega Test prior to the annual NHRA U.S. Nationals, Bill Glidden answered a question on the mind of just about every ADRL Extreme 10.5 fan. Based on his recent 4.20/170-mph eighth-mile pace, just how quick could Billy go if he ran his Mickey Thompson Tires Pontiac GTO another 220 yards?

Running with no less than two dozen Pro Stock and Pro Modified competitors, Glidden's single four-barrel carbed, nitrous oxide-aided small block Ford-powered Goat clocked two eighth-mile runs of 4.23/170.26 and 4.25/168.98...and then ran it to the quarter-mile finish line! The results were fairly astounding: testing new M/T rubber compounds, Glidden ran 6.561/208.14 and 6.566/211.76, respectively, to lay claim to the title of World's Quickest Unblown Small Block in both 660 and 1320 feet.  (Bret Kepner photo) [8/27/2008]