Originally Posted by Mike Parente

What I meant was that the Force team will do the investigation, and both they and the NHRA will release the report.
As JF is also the team owner, this thing will not wind up in any court, IMHO.

Originally Posted by Randy Goodwin

I've seen more than one set of legs dangling in the air from an Indy car wreck at *under* 200 miles per hour. I think a properly built chrome moly funny car structure is stronger than the driver's compartment of an Indy car or F1.

My opinion is that funny cars, while the hardest to drive, are still the safest of the cars running 250 miles per hour plus (alky included).

Some forces and loads are not withstandable, though. The cage area of a Cup car has a lot of tubing. I remember seeing a driver (name slips my mind) hit an opening at a short track a handfull of years ago and it just about spit the driver out on the track. Kenny Koretsky vs Bruce Allen was another one that made me hold my breath.

Point, to me, is the fact that in JF's case he hit nothing and his car fell apart. Something stinks here, because there have been some extremely violent funny car wrecks where the drivers compartment was not comprimised.

For example:

Back in 1993 Kenny Mooers was driving his TA/FC (Plueger clone built by Kenny) at Bakersfield. From the left lane his car made a sudden hard right turn past 1/2 track at over 200 miles per hour. It went right through the right Armco guardrail, slid upside down on the return road and T-boned the I beam that holds the right lane score board up. The car slid only a few more feet because the I beam brought it to a violent dead stop. Kenny ended up with a broken ankle. That was the most violent funny car wreck I've seen in 37 years of participating in the sport. I thought he was a goner.

I helped load the car and not one frame rail was broken. It was pretty bent up, but no welds failed and no tubes were broken.

What has changed????

RG

Originally Posted by Terry Larsen

I could be wrong, but I think the cup driver was a young Michael Waltrip--I remember seeing that crash and the resultant carnage and couldn't believe he lived, much less escaped unscathed...

Originally Posted by Paul Songas

Mike Harmon more recently.



Red helmet, blue driving suit.

Originally Posted by Paul Songas

Mike Harmon more recently.



Red helmet, blue driving suit.

Originally Posted by Randy Goodwin

Right. Bob Meyer beat me to it. NHRA has the car, not Force. Unless it's been released.

Mike, how long have you been following the sport?

RG

Originally Posted by Terry Yonts

I saw it too. HD does make a huge difference. I kept wondering why the announcers didn't see it and comment during all the replays. I'm no expert and don't know that's what caused the crash but you can plainly see pieces of something go under John"s car right before the tire came apart.

Originally Posted by Rex Lawler

100% ditto's.

Everyone keeps harping that striking the blocks COULD NOT!!! be the cause.Hogwash.There IS debris.....who knows for sure, possibly off KB's car..........I dunno, that far exceed the velocity of the foam block that gets under Johns car.Geez Louise, turn off your 1950's B&W cathode ray tube, stop watching ****ty little blurry YouTube vid's and open yer friggin' eyes!!!!!Did it CAUSE the crash........I dunno.
But not tiny, not specks, but relatively small/large pieces........not foam, hard stuff...........definitely make it under Johns car.I'm not blind.
REX

Originally Posted by Jim Young

Well . . . I'm not blind and I have a 61" HD TV. I've watched this several times and the two blocks KB hit clearly passed behind John's car. I can't see any other debris from KB's car striking John's. Could you post a frame from the HD coverage that shows what you are talking about?