From 1/4 Mile To 1000' Drag Strip ?

Unknown

I am watching the NHRA Denver Mile-High Nationals Final Eliminations and they say the strip is now 1000'. Is this now the norm for all NHRA drag strips ? Ron

Richie

Ron P wrote:

I am watching the NHRA Denver Mile-High Nationals Final Eliminations and they say the strip is now 1000'. Is this now the norm for all NHRA drag strips ? Ron

My understanding is the top fuel and funny car classes will run the 1000 ft, but the other classes will continue to run the full 1/4 mile. Not real sure, but the little I've heard seems to be that. Richie.

hornet53

It's only supposed to be temporary, until they can come up with a permanent answer to the speeds they're running nowadays. After the death of Scott Kalitta, everyone freaked out about how dangerous it is going 330 MPH and having to stop afterwards.



In my opinion though, the fix isn't the length of the race, but the length of the track. Look at the track they're running at now; long, uphill decel zone; long, two-way raked sand trap and two catch fences that are wider than the track. Now compare that to the (now proven) deathtrap decel zone at Englishtown, NJ.



Seems to me the problem is the outdated facilities, but, you'll be damned if you suggest taking away somebody's race date.



I wonder how many of the facilities are owned by NHRA?

Ol racer

Your right on about Temporary length reduction... I understand there was a highway on the other side of the NJ Strip Barrier and was necessary...



I think NASCAR type 'Safe Walls' may have helped lessen the impact...I agree Drags have not kept up Safety with the increased Speeds.. Should shorten distance only at Tracks with minimal shut down's....



NASCAR heightened Safety tremendously after Dale Earnhardt's death... Too bad thats what it takes...

[Deleted User]

The problem is that many of the tracks like Englishtown were built years ago, out in the country, away from towns and people and now, civilization has encroached on them. As time passed, and speeds increased, the need for longer shutoff areas became more apparent. Due to urban sprawl, it is not possible, at many tracks, to lengthen the shut off area unless it runs through someone's back yard or across a roadway. That is why the number of 1/8th mile tracks has increased, and why many 1/4 mile tracks have just faded away.
A safer barrier might have been nice, but in a 90* collision at 250/300 MPH such as the one Scott Kalitta had, I don't think it would have helped. Top Fuel and Funny Cars were never designed for that kind of impact.
After the death of Eric Medlen, major steps have been taken to make the cars safer, and I am sure that Scott's death will bring even more changes. It is my opinion however that until the racing facilities are made safer, (Longer, more capture netting) along with safer cars, it is only a matter of time until it happens again.
Bob

SuperDave

Restrictor plates... Yea.. that'll work!

[Deleted User]

NHRA and all of the drivers and owners are in concurrence with the 1,000' rule until a permanent solution comes about. There is a VERY good chance that, if they go back to a quarter-mile in Top Fuel and Funny Cars, they will NOT run at all at strips that do not have a sufficient overrun. So, that brings down the number of strips that they run those classes down by approximately one-half. They listed close to ten possible solutions to the problem on the ESPN coveraqge of the Mopar Nationals at Bandimere in Denver this weekend - the first time they've run the 1,000' since Kalitta's death. Smaller superchargers, single magnetos, smaller slicks and wings, smaller-displacement engines, and staying at 1,000' are all under discussion.



I have a feeling this will still sound the death knell for the tracks that do not have the room and are unable to expand the length of the run area and the overrun...at least as far as the top two classes go, anyway.



We will have to see.