Bob has brought up a point concerning frame inspections. Are the teams inspecting the frames on a periodic basis? Ultrasonic or eddy current may find subsuface cracks before they become a problem.

A little off topic but still related.

I watched the video again tonight with the in-laws and our main focus was watching John in the car. My father-in-law is nearly blind but still wanted to take a look. He is related to JF's father and family which is why he was interested.

We came to the conclusion that John was in God's hands in that car.

Frame by frame shows the chassis ripping away leaving John without any protection at all from the thighs down. His legs, feet up, extend down track. Next the drivers compartment tilts back. With both his legs up in the air he hangs on as he pivots. The next motion is a twist which causes the cage to impact the ground over his right shoulder. At that point the compartment rotates down and his knee appears to make contact with the ground. About that same time the chutes catch the guard rail and snag the gate which immediately stops him from going another foot down the track.

If the chutes had not caught the gate the driver's compartment would have started a series of rolling tumbles down the track until the whole mess came to a stop which could have been as far as the sand trap. Every time the driver's compartment rolled over it would have worked his feet, legs, arms and body. I don't need to comment on what that would have done to John because it never happened.

If you have access to the video look at it again and see how close to the beginning of the disaster John stopped. I think it was a miracle.

You could sit in the back of a moving pick-up truck tossing parachutes at that gate for an hour and never get a chute to catch it like it did. But John's caught it in one try.

Thank God for miracles. I hope John is thanking Him, too.

RG

I'm not a real religous person but having seen this I think miracle is the correct word!

some how frightening and reassuring at the same time.......amazing

Perfect example of why I think most fans are idiots.....

The slick (left) is clearly delaminated.

I'm really not being a arsewipe here (other places maybe, yeah)

But either ya' might wanna' see an optomotrist or trade in that 61" TV ya' got there

There is a layer of rubber missing clear off that tire.

In the vid frame by frame you can see it leave.

REX

Why, because they claim to see things that didn't happen, like wheels locking up?

__________________
"I got a fever, and the only prescription... is more cowbell!"

Buell's and Hardley's suck!

What gets me is that the current T/F-F/C tires are supposed to be safe to 325 mph, but it really gets me as to why goodyear decided sit on their hands under their butts when they know that a tire is needed to withstand 340+ mph. I guess their satisfied with injuring drivers every so often, and the occasional death of one.

__________________
"I'm pi$$ed at all most everthing."

I'm interested in the topic of funny car chassis safety. As a driver of an alcohol funny car, anything involving safety gets my attention - even though we go much slower than the fuel guys. I am not interested in reading posts where people take shots at each other - if you have issues with someone else on this site please send a PM. For those who thrive on watching people in conflict, turn on the news or watch a "reality" TV show.

Did you ever consider that maybe they've done as much as is humanly possible with the materials and technology we have and now they're trying to do the impossible? I wish I could remember where I read it but somebody talked to a Goodyear engineer and when asked what tires were the biggest challenge he said it was the tires used in funny car and top fuel.

__________________
"I got a fever, and the only prescription... is more cowbell!"

Buell's and Hardley's suck!

Where the MPH is an average over specific distance travelled (Point A - Point B in N seconds) can anyone tell me what the actual MPH is crossing the finish line?

I would guess that a 330MPH speed would perhaps start at 290MPH at the first MPH sensor and could perhaps be 340+ MPH at the finish line.

So, if the tires are rated to 325, are the cars far exceeding that speed at the finish line?

Or does the rev limiter stop that from happening?

Brian

It is about 1% so if you get an ET slip that says you went 327, it was going at about 330 at the finish line. The mph is an average over the last 66ft. of the 1/4 mile.

Jeff

Jeff,

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I appreciate it.

I can't believe there are people out there that think Goodyear could build a better tire, and just doesn't want to. Unbelievable!!!

Simple question.

Why can't we have a kind of F1 style cockpit safety pod?

They are designed to keep intact in heavy shunts.

Evening watching old TF's and Fuel Altereds, some of their drivers look like sitting in pods?

Cheers

James