6/14/06
Note: we got three letters about the 1320 note concerning the Cacklefest at Bowling Green, so we're going to run those before returning to our regular correspondence.
WRONG AGAIN!
As usual, when you rely on second-hand information, you usually get it wrong. At the recent NHHR, the Greek-Garlits push start was long over before the "Pure Heaven" incident. They in fact pushed down before the other cars were started. Alan Miller made sure both lanes were clear before the two cars pushed down. Nobody was ever in any jeopardy of being hit by either car.
Please make SOME effort to verify the facts before running your mouth about matters that could be detrimental to the sport.
Hal Sanguinetti
Glendale, AZ
ANOTHER VIEW
The Cacklefest was done as a static fire up deal due to the water on the track and only Gar and the Greek push started. The cars were lined up down the centerline as usual and were lit off on a countdown from the crowd. Adolph initially moved forward and then as he attempted to get the car back in line he evidently did not have enough clutch clearance and could not stop the car. As it moved back the front wheels flopped and the car slewed into Larry who was parked against the wall on his scooter. At no time was anyone in any danger from Big and the Greek who drove down in front of the idling cars as happens in every push start cacklefest. All of the crews were alongside or behind the cars at the time, again a standard situation.
As was suggested on some of the forums, the teams probably should have been requested to disconnect the drivelines as the cars were to be remote started. After the heavy rain that put an end to qualifying the cackle deal was rescheduled at short notice when it became obvious that the track would be substantially dry even if not enough to allow all of the cars to safely push start and this situation probably pre-empted any efforts to pull the couplers.
Keith Burgin
NO. 3
I was at Bowling Green for the NHRR. To the best of my knowledge, because of the rain none of the push start cars were actually started during the Cacklefest. They were merely pushed down the track with the motors off.
I was standing directly inline with the incident involving the man pinned against the wall. Your story says the driver didn't crash, but what do you call it when you lose control of a car and hit the wall with it? The motor was still running long after the (non?) accident and he didn't seem able to shut it down, so the staff on hand killed it with fire extinguishers. Had the car gotten loose again before track personnel shut it down, it would have backed into the car it was parked next to and possibly those crew members.
As far as pushing the other cars down track while that was happening, with 30 or so nitro cars all running and revving the engines, it didn't seem like radios and headsets were audible at the time. Except for the people involved and a few of us nearby, most people didn't even know there had been an accident. There was definitely some confusion between staff and medical personnel, and it seemed to take a long time before EMT's got to the victim.
Looks to me like they have some adjustments to make in the Cacklefest, but having witnessed the incident I felt it was unfair for your story to say the driver didn't crash and then fault NHRR for "push-starting" cars.
Feel free to contact me if you like. I was just racing at the event, I'm not affiliated with the NHRA or Beech Bend.
Thanks,
Mark Martin
And now, on to other subjects.
