After watching Roberts Hight's fire yesterday and subsequent thrash to get the car ready, already being resigned to forefeit the race due to safety reasons, followed by John Force's 'rant' I would like to post the following poll:

Should race teams be able to substitute a chassis in the event that it is damaged to the point that it's integrity is in doubt?

I am split on this.

Part of me says that winning a race involves not wrecking on Sunday.

On the other hand, these teams have so much invested that it is almost a crime to make them pull a perfectly good car apart to piece together a potentially compromised race car.

From a safety standpoint, allowing the teams to change cars would remove any possibility of a damaged race car making a run after an accident.

NO other motorsports allow a backup car to be used in the MIDDLE of the race. Shake yourself people. If you want the extreme....the MEGA teams could have a car for every round.........

Late............Mitch

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"We'll just put another engine in it. That's the way this game is played if you have to." Big Daddy Indy '86/ONFIRE '03

The substitution of chassis would only be allowed if the initial chassis had been too severely damaged to continue.

They couldn't change out a perfectly good chassis just for the sake of it.

At what point is a chassis deemed unusable? because no two wrecks, or trips to the sand box do the same damage and how is it regulated?

I vote yes. but....

#1 Back up car can only be pulled out when NHRA officals agree with the team the primary chassis is too badly damaged to continue, or makes hard contact with the wall which could cause damage not obvious at the time. If you hit hard enough to move the wall, let's not run it again 75 min. later. I would appoint 3 people to make this decision. The Crew Chief, Dan Olson, and a second person not associated with the team. They can plead their case, but the final decision is Dan Olsons.

If the car only catches fire, and too much stuff is burnt off to make the next round, too bad. The chassis itself has to be an issue.

#2 Only 1 back up car allowed per driver, per race. If you bring a back up out in qualifying, and need one for the finals, too bad. Also, you must totally withdraw the original car. No going back to car #1 once you have switched.

#3 Back up car can not be a chassis already run during in competiton that weekend. Example, Robert could not hop in Ashleys car, throw the spare AAA body on it, and run it. (obvious, but some people have talked about it)

Maybe more provisions to outline exactly how it's going to be, but I think with something along those lines, it could work. This is a very rare deal. The last round winner with definate frame damage that I remember is Eric Medlen in Pomona '05. Before that??? Erics car was probably not safe to run in that final round. . (all he did was make a quick blip)

I am 100% sure all of the teams that run the full schedule have a back up car in the trailer. How race ready?? I don't know, but it could not be much less race ready then Roberts car was when they were putting the fire out down in the sand.

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Go Hight!!!----4.63
Prock Rocket 2008 Style

The last thing needed is more convoluted rules and decisions made by officials. That is just adding fuel to the fire. Black and white, you hit the wall, you are out. Extend the rule to past the finish line. Even if you cross the line first you are still out.

No one should run an unsafe car and no team should have an unfair advantage over another. By coming up with all of these stipulations of how a spare chassis should be allowed, how many people can work on it, etc, etc. all you are doing is setting NHRA up to make decisions that they are either going to screw up or that someone is not going to like. When someone's favorite driver gets screwed then the complaining will really start.

KISS. Keep it simple stupid works more times than not.

I was being "general", obviously there would be guidelines and assessments made by NHRA officials and technical advisers.

I am still undecided though.

I like the idea of having two chassis teched for use each weekend. A primary and a backup, and the backup can only be used if the primary is classified as damaged.

My take on it is once you fire the motor for the first round on Sunday, THAT's the chassis you use for the rest of the event.

If the car contacts the wall or another car at any time, that's it. You don't use it again until it's been evaluated by the chassis builder, or a qualified representative of same.

The rule would be the same for everyone, from a Force sized juggernaut, down to the one chassis-one engine and a spare indie team.

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AKA DrRocket

I agree with David,he hit the nail square!!

No!!
But if the loser of the round would have run in to the winner and bent the winnners's chassis, I think the winner should be allowed to use a back up chassis since the accident was not his(or her) fault.

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Stock4405
Superstock4342

Seconded!!!

You people are wierd, you camplain about no side by side racing when a race track is a one laner, Robert's crew works their butts off to try to get the car fixed but they have a problem and are shut off, so no side by side racing again, they should allow a backup chassis, they'll let you change bodies, engines, blowers, heads, magnitos, clutches, tires, rearends, clutch timers, etc, etc, etc, on raceday. The chassis should allowed to be changed after an incident if it can't be easily repaired for driver safety and to give the fans a side by side race. BTW do you actually think that John Force would let is son-in-law and the father of his grandchild make a hard run in an unsafe car down the track especially after losing Eric. Using a backup chassis is no different than a backup body.

I'm going to have to agree with the Maters who have stated that you run the car that starts a race to the finish in every other series. This rule has been in place for (possibly) decades and now Mr. Force decides it's wrong?
I'm sorry that something went very wrong when Robert's engine blew, but NHRA should have had the Ba$$s to inspect the chassis and make a decision if it was approved for further competition. I know, it's great drama, but rules are rules.

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"The Counterfeiter"

It's a outdated rule, these chassis are under a whole lot more stress and strain than they were when the rule was writtin. This rule needs to changed for driver safety rather than putting him or her in even more danger because of a hurt chassis!