In light of recent events.

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I just want to chime in here with a little perspective. I count Gary and Loretta as friends (not lifelong friends or anything, but I have hung out with them at a few events over the past couple of years, and have witnessed their kindness and generosity). I have also watched Gary run a truck on a damn slippery track (crappy outlaw track near their house), and it is obvious that Gary has made MANY passes down the dragstrip and knows what he is doing. I think his actions here (laying his pain out for everyone to see, for the goodness of the sport) is extremely admirable.

I have also crashed on a dragstrip at over 130 mph (close to 140) at about the same angle into the guardrail as Gary's into the right side, and have a few thousand passes in various cars & trucks. I have several track championships, a divisional championship, and several divisional event wins in my past. I have gotten out of shape on crappy tracks, and have packed it in before eliminations once after driving many hours to an event, when I didn't feel safe with the track prep.

I also have a BS in Mechanical Engineering, an MS in Physics, and am about 3 classes and an incomplete dissertation away from my PhD in Physics.

With that as my "resume", I know that there is a tremendous amount that I DON'T know about racing, and I would never think to second guess someone's actions in an event like this.

Let's all look at this as a blessing, that we were given a "wake-up call" to take a detailed look at safety rules without anyone dying. The class I race cars in (Super-Gas) was not so lucky. A friend of mine (Mack Peery) gave his life in a wreck shortly after mine (and less severe in appearance) when his rollcage did not do as well as mine. This (and similar wrecks) prompted the NHRA to revise rollcage rules and institute chassis certification.

Happy Easter everyone!

Regards,
Michael Pliska
 
This was a lesson not a wake up call.

I have driven and helped to build a some quick cars/trucks myself. I was brought up to and have always progressed into doing full power runs after mods. This basic rule/lesson was not followed and it has bitten others before.

I support the NHRA rules and they are the basic requirements to run at their track. If a racer feels they want to go beyond them rules they can always do so.
 
Pat will be gone for a while....maybe he can come back at some point and actually contribute....but if any other member would like a vacation also...just write a post like Pat's and we'll be more than happy to oblige.[/QUOTE]


There goes the entertainment. Oh well, back to the tv.
 
OK... here's my take after 18 pages of reading:

I'm not a racer, I'm not a dragger, I'm a wrencher.

I say things need to start having at LEAST a Roll bar earlier. The IDEA of a removeable cage, I think is a good one. Maybe require that removeable bar have a 1foot by 1 foot plate sandwiching the floor. That plate will dispurse alot of energy.

I don't think doing this will "ruin" the Diesel Motorsports as we know them. I think it is an eye opener for ALL of us. Competitiors and spectators alike.

EVERY track I have been to the big end is where the real problems happen, and where there are NO spectators, stands or anything like that, within a close distance. Sure... some parking.... (IRP anyone?) My simple mind is telling me they have done that for a reason. Even if one of our trucks gets out of hand in the first 500 feet, the barriers and other spectator safties will stop our trucks.

The spectator comments and "issues" are a lesser "issue" right now. Finding a way to keep ALL of our Diesel folks alive, in the event of a crash is.

I also agree with one of the statements earlier. Make sure the WELDS are good. I too have seen a bad wreck be way worse because the welds were poor and gave.

To the guys saying it can't/won't happen to me. We have lost some of the greatist drivers to ever walk this earth because of unforseen problems. Dale Earnhardt Sr being one of them. Do you really think that on his gravestone they put "Boy I guess I had to MUCH safety equipment."
 
DieselDood do you think that the stock airbags that come with our trucks s/b required safety equipment?
 
Diesel Tech said:
The worst part is this thread is about safety concerns and what can be done to protect the driver when something does happen. Not who is the best driver and the best truck builder as we all know that McRat has proclaimed that honor for himself.
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You are a true class act remember that Steve, tell mom I said Hi.
 
paint94979 said:
You are a true class act remember that Steve, tell mom I said Hi.
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Nice post :clap: It's good to see that other people notice that Steve is concerned with the safety aspect of this sport for the faster trucks.

Steve's mom is cool and she can cook up one mean dinner. Makes me want to fly out to California just to eat at her house again :rockwoot:

Sheila
 
Opie said:
This was a lesson not a wake up call.


I support the NHRA rules and they are the basic requirements to run at their track. If a racer feels they want to go beyond them rules they can always do so.
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well said.....if it is a sanctioned track you will run by those rules anyways..usually even in test and tune
 
Opie said:
DieselDood do you think that the stock airbags that come with our trucks s/b required safety equipment?
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I don't know if you are serious or trying to be a smart :shake:

Think about this. You are trying to control something that is in a collision. An airbag would be a hinderance in this type of application.

Use some common sense guys here. All the calculations in the world dont' mean a thing if you can't comprehend what is being said.
 
Opie said:
DieselDood do you think that the stock airbags that come with our trucks s/b required safety equipment?
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something to realy thank about if you have a newer truck

airbag goes off when Garys truck hit the left wall now hands are knocked off wheel cant see then heads for right wall
 
About airbags many people recommend removing airbags or wiring a switch so they can be disabled while racing. If you have harness and a helmet the airbag presents more danger than safety.

(Do not attempt to work on or modify any airbag or airbag wiring if you do not know what your doing.
 
DieselDood said:
Think about this. You are trying to control something that is in a collision. An airbag would be a hinderance in this type of application. .
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now think about this. You have no idea how airbags work. They are only fully inflated for mere milliseconds. As soon as your face/chest slams forward into the inflated bag, it deflates, cushioning you/absorbing impact. By the time your eyes are open again, the bag is completyl deflated and you can steer and see no problem.

They were designed like this for this specific reason; should the airbag deploy while you are still moving, it allows you to still see and steer the vehicle. If you are holding the wheel properly (10 and 2), the airbag will not knock your hands off.

did gary's truck still have an airbag?
 
UNBROKEN said:
Posts like this, that are intended to do nothing more than inflame a thread or start crap with another member will not be tolerated. We've given a wide berth to many people here...not any more.

CompD is not a dumping ground for personal agenda's or vendetta's.

Pat will be gone for a while....maybe he can come back at some point and actually contribute....but if any other member would like a vacation also...just write a post like Pat's and we'll be more than happy to oblige.
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do we have to ban him its so intertaning? let's make a forum called what itiots think and sometimes say :banned:
 
duratothemax said:
now think about this. You have no idea how airbags work. They are only fully inflated for mere milliseconds. As soon as your face/chest slams forward into the inflated bag, it deflates, cushioning you/absorbing impact. By the time your eyes are open again, the bag is completyl deflated and you can steer and see no problem.

They were designed like this for this specific reason; should the airbag deploy while you are still moving, it allows you to still see and steer the vehicle. If you are holding the wheel properly (10 and 2), the airbag will not knock your hands off.

did gary's truck still have an airbag?
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Have you ever seen the size of the air bag after its been deployed? The driverside bag is much bigger than the steering wheel so it will effect your ability to steer. As far has holding onto the wheel when it deploys no way in hell, you cannot steer. It's size is to keep you from coming into contact with any part of the steering wheel. Air bags are designed as a last resort to saving your life. Once they've gone off the powder that's on the bag will make your eye's burn and the best thing you can do is toss your clothes in a trash can afterward.
 
which post..i wanna read it so i dont get banned. this was comin waaaaaaaaay back in this thread:hehe:
 
Steve ive blown up a few airbags before. the early bags used sodium azide as the gas charge; nasty stuff. Its the gas from the ignitor that makes your eyes burn NOT the powder. New bags use a different gas that isnt half as irritating. The powder is basically talcom (sp) powder.


it deflates as soon as you hit it so I dont see how this affects your ability to steer. They are specifically designed this way. IMO even without an airbag, an impact like that would knock your hands off the steering wheel anyway.

These heavy duty trucks need quite an impact to deploy the airbags because the crash impulse is so low compared to a car or light duty truck. You dont see many crashed HD's with blown airbags.
 
This is still going on? 8000+ views and 300+ replys??

If only this many keyboard peckers would actually RACE their trucks, holy cow!! What a difference it would make to the sport!!!!
 
Diesel Tech said:
Have you ever seen the size of the air bag after its been deployed? The driverside bag is much bigger than the steering wheel so it will effect your ability to steer. As far has holding onto the wheel when it deploys no way in hell, you cannot steer. It's size is to keep you from coming into contact with any part of the steering wheel. Air bags are designed as a last resort to saving your life. Once they've gone off the powder that's on the bag will make your eye's burn and the best thing you can do is toss your clothes in a trash can afterward.
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at 90mph, sure. but I've heard of many (including my GF's volvo) going off at 35mph or less (snow, no traction, blah blah blah).
 
Sledpuller said:
This is still going on? 8000+ views and 300+ replys??

If only this many keyboard peckers would actually RACE their trucks, holy cow!! What a difference it would make to the sport!!!!
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Dude, I still have snow on the ground. :)

And a 1.5 hour drive to even think about a Test and Tune little lone a race track that DHRA or anyone will go to. (sucks living up in MN).
 
Sledpuller said:
This is still going on? 8000+ views and 300+ replys??

If only this many keyboard peckers would actually RACE their trucks, holy cow!! What a difference it would make to the sport!!!!
Click to expand...

Talk is cheep.
 
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