I would like to think JFR is doing everything in their power to investigate this tragedy to figure out exactly what happened. What if YOUR daughter were scheduled to race and you didn't know if it could happen again or not. As crude as it sounds this tragedy probably will get the best investigation possible because of the team it happened to. A lesser team may have just folded and gone away without putting forth all possible resources to find a cause. Rest assured if the sport CAN be made safer by learning from this, JFR will make it so.

I think WJ is right on the target with this idea. People seem to forget what the NHRA was created for, to provide a safe place for people to race. Period. If the competitors in this sanctioning body decide that a “NTSB like” investigation team is necessary to promote safer conditions in which to compete, then it falls directly upon the NHRA to provide this. The NHRA has no problem raising entry fee’s to cover a myriad of other operating costs, so if they need to tack another $10 on to entry fee’s in order to fund this idea, so be it.

Jeremy Jude
SG 596
SC 5961

WJ is certainly looking in the right direction with an NTSB-like investigation. I would believe there would be a lot of info available from other organizations which have already tested and analyzed data from these types of accidents thru mock-up tests or actual incidents. The auto manufacturers, NTSB, FAA, NASA, and the Military test continually test and investigate on impact and G-Force tolerance and survivability on the human body.

What caused Eric's accident I am sure will be found. What is needed for the driver to survive an impact like Eric had is a different issue. With the type of closed head injury that it was (DAI) this will be much harder to evaluate. As the velocity and time (i.e. G-Force) are the factors which would determine survivability.

Here is some a little info on deceleration G-Force and Diffuse Axonal Injury(DAI).

G-Force

Strongest g-forces survived by humans
Voluntarily: Colonel John Stapp in 1954 sustained 46.2 g in a rocket sled, while conducting research on the effects of human deceleration. See Martin Voshell (2004), 'High Acceleration and the Human Body'.

Involuntarily: Formula One racing car driver David Purley survived an estimated 178 g in 1977 when he decelerated from 173 km•h-1 (108 mph) to 0 in a distance of 66 cm (26 inches) after his throttle got stuck wide open and he hit a wall.[5]

Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI)

Unlike brain trauma that occurs due to direct impact and deformation of the brain, DAI is the result of traumatic shearing forces that occur when the head is rapidly accelerated or decelerated, as may occur in auto accidents, falls, and assaults (reviewed in Wolf et al., 2001). It usually results from twisting or rotational forces (angular momentum), rather than forward and back impacts linear momentum (Sanders and McKenna, 2001; Wasserman, 2004; Shepherd, 2004). Car accidents are the most frequent causes of DAI, with sports accidents and child abuse also common causes (Smith and Greenwald, 2003).

The major cause of damage in DAI is the tearing of axons, the neural processes that allow one neuron to communicate with another. Tracts of axons, which appear white due to myelination, are referred to as white matter. Acceleration causes shearing injury, which refers to damage inflicted as tissue slides over other tissue. When the brain is accelerated, parts of differing densities and distances from the axis of rotation slide over one another, stretching axons that traverse junctions between areas of different density, especially gray-white matter junctions (Wasserman, 2004). Two thirds of DAI lesions occur in areas where grey and white matter meet (Wasserman, 2004).

God Bless Eric and prayers with Eric’s family, JFR, and friends

I have a question that maybe nobody can answer here, but I am going to ask it anyhow...

Did or Did not NHRA confiscate Darrell's car after his tragic accident, or was it the sheriff's office in St.Louis?? and never give a report of their findings?? Yes they made some changes with the shroud and wing angle... However with that question being asked, and wanting an answer...

Did NHRA take Eric's car as well?? or is it because of it being a testing day or because it happened to JFR that the car is still in their possession... Which I believe is the best place for it to be... However an independent panel is absolutely needed... Just asking a question... Is this different, and if so why is it different??

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theDARKSIDE- TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER*

I am in complete agreement. Knowing what caused the accident very well may prevent the next one. A very good friend of mine, and many time world champ died in a boat crash. Knowing what went wrong has created rules that do not let this happen again. I have created parts that even up the standard for this type of thing for my boats. Since I drive funny-cars, I would like to know how to make myself and my brother safer.
It has to be independent of the NHRA because we will never see the results if they are involved. (Still waiting on the 30 days for the DR report promised on national television.)
If we can keep the NHRA, the governments and any short acronyms out of it, we can keep it affordable.
Good idea all the way around.

I think that this is great idea, not that there is not a through investigation going on now. Come on this happened to someone from JFR, it is not like John is worried about cost, if anything he is more worried about not letting this happen to any of his other racers and fellow competitors. I believe JFR will stop at nothing to find out the facts and then reveal them so that everyone can benefit.
Now as for other race cars that do not have the backing like JFR, there should be a process to investigate an incident more throughly then it is now. I agree with WJ, there should be someone like the NTSB for all auto racing sactioning bodies, and it should be required to be used with every incident. Cost should not even be an issue when it comes to everybodies safety, or even just one person!!! We cannot put a price tag on someone's life.

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Safety First, but please keep it as cheap as possible!!!

What would define an "incident?"

So maybe an answer lies in the formation of an investigative agency comprised of experts in the field of drag racing ....chasis builders, engineers, track conditions, tires, body design..... every aspect of drag racing. It's just a thought.

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Jackee Allen-ProStockJunkie
"The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress." -- Joseph Joubert (1754-1824) French Philosopher