Did you know....Recently, well respected engineers and a chassis builder (all who had nothing to gain) got together on a project to do significant tests on todays top fuel chassis and failures that have resulted? Did you know they conducted these test looking for answers without bias and spent enough money to buy a house in the suburbs in the process of doing it? Did you hear about the alarming results?

Over the course of several months computer stress tests were done on the most prominant TF team cars racing at national events under all conditions. The frames were tested during several runs from the wheelie bar to the weight bar. The wing and struts were included. These were based on aircraft type stress analysis sensors from many multiple points and all the data was recorded on onboard computers. Just to outfit the engine area of one TF car with the computer and hook-ups took 6 hours and 20 pounds worth of equipment.

The group got together with a prominant chassis builder and two identical latest state of the art frames were ordered. Why two? Because one was ordered of the heat treated variety and the other was not. Neither of these cars were ever destined to make a lap down the quarter mile but they were assembled anyway. These people felt it was time to do what NASA or Boeing or any other similar company would do when stress testing equipment that is expected to carry lives.

A state of the art 36 foot long hydraulic stress test machine was commissioned. This machine was coupled to the computer data that the group had assembled over the course of months and events.

Long story short. The machine was able to duplicate full runs. It produced loads on the two chassis that duplicated the launch, the settling of the cars at two seconds, the arc of the chassis and wing loads front and rear at half track all the way to the shut down. These loads were verified accurate by the same multitude of probes that were placed on the various race cars at the tracks.

What happened? The normailzed (non-heat treated) chassis lasted test after test. But the heat treated (ab-normailzed) chassis broke apart in an area similar to the on track failures that have taken place several times after only a few attempts.

Armed with this alarming yet undeniably important and live saving information the group took the information, test results, videos, etc., to the powers that be and were told they weren't interested in what they had to offer.

The group spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in an effort to seek the truth. The truth still remains today. Yet fingers seem to remain firmly planted today, one in each ear.

Did you know this?

RG

What is your source for this information?

If true, I can't say that it surprises me.

Too bad they didn't test a monostrut dragster too.

No I didn't.

It makes me wonder why the "the powers that be" wouldn't listen to a group of engineers and chassis experts who have possible life saving information.

This could come back to haunt "the powers that be". This IS a message board, I say go ahead and name names.

I know I'm probably going to sound ignorant, but what do the rules mandate when it comes to heat-treated/non heat-treated chassis? Are the ones that are currently heat-treated, and apparently testing poorly, mandated? Or can non heat-treated chassis be run?

I guess the point of my question is that if the non heat-treated ones are better/safer, and are legal but not mandated, why don't they run them that way regardless? I can only assume the heat-treated ones are mandated. I know if I was driving one, I wouldn't give a damn what some narrow-minded Glendora resident had to say about, I would use a non heat-treated car. On the flipside, if heat-treated ones are the only ones legal to run, yet there was supporting evidence that non heat-treated ones are safer, then the teams need to band together and force the issue, period. Our boys have more than proven that they can make more power than the current chassis and tire designs can take, so it's time for a summit. Either address the rules or the show won't go on. Something tells me if that were to happen, things would get accomplished. It's a damn shame it would have to come to that, but..................

There is simply no excuse that could be fabricated by anyone in Glendora to ignore these studies if they show the evidence that Randy claims. It's actually embarrasing to know that could've happened.

Sean D

Ditto. What's the source?

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Bob
Doug - 2006 & Greg - 2007 The Real Champs

It's over at DRO and it's being reported as Bill Miller. I'd say Miller is about as much an authority on fuel racing tech as there is.

edit, here's the link: ::: Drag Racing Online ::: Columns - Agent 1320 - 10/4/2007

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

Buell's and Hardley's suck!

NHRA's lack of interest in data is no surprise. I was present at Firebird several years ago as Kalitta Racing, Weld Wheels and SWIFT (Spinning Wheel Integrated Force Transducer) prepared Grubnic's car for a test involving real time data on 24 different parameters. The results were very surprising and NHRA and Goodyear were . . . not interested.
NASCAR has applied a huge amount of science in creating the Car of Tomorrow. Teams now have $1,000,000 seven post rigs to test stresses on the cars. Obviously, NHRA fuel teams (with the possible exception of JFR/Ford alliance) don't have the resources to do this. IMHO - NHRA dodged a huge Bullet when John survived chassis failure.
I have to agree that NHRA needs to apply some science instead of allowing teams to instruct chassis builders to apply knee jerk engineering with no data. Again - JMHO

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"The Counterfeiter"

The NHRA wouldn't know what to make of the data, they only know how to make do with kneejerk reactions.

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

I have no engineering degree.
I don't build chassis and I don't understand the principals that the experts do but I sure as heck agree with Randy that such well researched information should never be taken lightly. It should be received with gratitude, and entered into the grand equation of keeping our sport safe. Any testing that brings additional information forth that can be assimilated into a safety discussion should be carefully considered-especially when such information comes from experts. I don't believe this is a time to pick and choose who we should believe.

I say this for three reasons.
1-I clearly saw John's chassis broken where no F/C chassis should ever break.
2-I've seen the fix and agree with many others that this is a band-aid not the answer
3-I belt my own sons into F/C chassis and I want such research to be brought forth for the safety of all.

Now, for the "Powers that Be" reading these pleas, could you please reconsider such important information and listen to all experts?

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"The Doctor"
www.wannaberacing.com

NHRA = No Helping Racers Allowed

Bruce Lee

So what recommendations did these engineers suggest for changes?

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Shift for Brains!!!!

Because of their lawyers the NHRA and GoodYear can't talk about tires because of the Russell lawsuit that's still ongoing.

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

The first appears to be not welding heat treated tubing to untreated. Is the section of the chassis that is mandated to be heat treated fabricated from heat treated tubing, or is it fabicated from 4130 and then treated as a unit?
Somone may be able to answer this question. From what I know of heat treating, the correct solution would be to fabricate the chassis and then heat treat the entire unit. Of course, since there is no data, no one knows how an entire heat treated chassis would perform. For the last time, NHRA needs to hire a qualified engineer before a driver dies.

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"The Counterfeiter"

Just the upper and lower main framerails, not the entire chassis.

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