It wasn’t the falling off the jack stands or the jack that caused this. It was the throttle being stuck wide open. Two ideas I think we all need to consider.

1. Wire up a “kill switch” on your steering wheel that will instantly shut off the ignition. Something like the motorcycle racers use. It has to be close to where your hand is.
2. Never put your car to wide open throttle in the pit area, PERIOD! Why risk it? If you want to make sure the throttle is OK, shut the engine off and try the throttle a few times to make sure it doesn’t stick.

Think about it. Everything involved in causing this accident took place in less than a second. The driver didn’t stand a chance to save it. If the throttle has stuck and he had a kill switch in easy reach he could have (maybe) left his hand on the trans-brake button and hit the kill switch with the other.
Lots of second-guessing, but it was a preventable accident with correct planning and preparation. And please don’t give me the “racing is dangerous”, “accidents happen” and “I have never had a problem and I do it all the time” excuses. If it was your family that gets hit by a runaway car in the pits those “excuses” will be as worthless then as they are now.

How about a Racer-Driven Stimulus Package?

I have been doing a lot of traveling lately to and from races and for my business, Trailer Toad LLC. During the time behind the wheel my brain is thinking about everything but the miles that are ahead of me. I bounce around from my own race cars to can our sport become “better” for more people and everything in between.

The economy seems to be on everyone’s mind and it has had a very real effect on our sport in a lot of different ways. From the local racers who have been laid off from their jobs and cannot participate as much to the professional teams that have been forced to park their operation until they find a sponsor.

When I walk around the pits and talk to racers it is evident that they have a real passion for the sport and whether the economy is being kind to them or not, they want to keep racing as long as they can afford it. I would imagine it is the same passion a fisherman or a golfer has. Quite simply, it is what they love to do.

The economic impact that this recession has had is as widespread as it can get. It has affected corporate budgets for companies that want to support drag racing events, sponsor teams and advertise their products in different types of media to promote their products. The spinoff has probably had a direct effect on all of us. Higher fees from NHRA, higher entry fees at tracks as they struggle to keep the doors open and the sportsman racer who may have to make the decision to stay home a couple weekends a month as money gets tighter and tighter and the job market shrinks.

Is there anything we racers can do to help? I think there are a few things we can all do that sure as heck won’t hurt anything. Here is my idea to start creating a “real stimulus package” that doesn’t have to be paid for on the backs of taxpayers and the next generation of our families.

1. Start buying products that are “Made in the USA”. Remember those? The rebuilding of our economy must start inside our own borders.
2. Race as much as you can afford and try to support local tracks. Some tracks are being forced to make decisions they never thought they would face. Track owners are faced with the same issues we are: how to reduce expenses and remain functional. Most track owners are every bit as passionate about the sport as the racers are.
3. If you own a company and are thinking about hiring some part-time or full-time employees, why not start advertising the openings at the local drag strip? You will find some of the best people I have ever met at the track. (They might want some weekends off but, hey, they will probably work extra hours during the week to get the weekend off!)
4. As racers we can make sure we support the companies that are investing in our sport and are selling us American-made products. Look at local sponsors at your local track. Do they offer a product or service you are getting somewhere else? Even if it is a dollar or two more you would be helping the sport and the local track if you bought something from them. Make sure you mention that you noticed their sign at the local drag strip and that helped you decide to become their customer.
5. Nothing is more difficult for a company than trying to find out what form of advertising is paying off for them. If you can tell the company where you saw the ad or why you chose their product or service; it will really help them target more advertising towards the drag racers.