GENERAL > BIKE TALK
Saw this posted and thought it was appropriate.
Rocketgeezer:
I could read that stuff all day, and I have to say it is cool to know Don and Pat Garlits personaly, and to have used his nitro eng advice, even if he did giggle when I said I was running a small block, nowadays if you try to talk to one of the crew chiefs at the drags they may get security to haul you off, most of them have the attitude that they don't bother with nobodys,.............Don owned, built, and drove the cars, along with Tommy Lemons, and Connie Swingle, and more often than not it was just the three of them at the track, we may never see people like Don and Pat ever again, that type of DNA is just not in people anymore
Rocketgeezer:
--- Quote from: Sport on February 11, 2014, 06:54:24 PM ---Years ago, and I mean (years) ago I helped Don mix his nitro and alcohol fuel together in three cans before putting it into his Swamp Rat. Years later at the opening of Sears Point Raceway a Goodyear helicopter landed in the staging area and out rolled two experimental slcks for him to try. He won the meet. I'm still pissed at him though because he joined with those who want the drags for fuelers to be just 1000'. I want my 320 feet back!!!
--- End quote ---
One thing is for sure is that the Garlits crew was never short on volunteers, and I don't know how old you are, but is case you don't realize it, the majority of todays Dragstrips were built when the fuel dragsters were just getting over 200 MPH, yes there are the supertracks, Dallas, Charlott NC, Chicago, but the thing is most of the races are held on tracks built in the 60s, and most are just not long enough to stop Dragsters and Funny cars running 330 MPH, with any degree of safety, yes I also was pissed over the 1000 ft deal, but after a couple of VERY scary incidents myself because of chute failure, I thought it not such a bad idea, and you see now they have almost gotten the speed back where it was at 1320,
Sport:
I realize that most tracks were built in yesteryear but disagree that 'most' don't have the runoff room required for 300+mph dragsters. And like you said, the speeds of the fuelers are where they were when the rule was changed anyway. Only a handful of tracks are too short and most of those have the room to expand. Just a few, like two or three, can't expand the runoff area. I wouldn't change the entire fuel car sport to accommodate just a few drag strips. We're probably stuck with it though due the way it was changed, a driver's death. If I remember right, the length of the track was not the direct cause of his death anyway. Sad all around.
This site has some great old pics. I remember the 200 mph and 8 second barriers being broken, Muldowney, Stone Woods and Cook, Tommy Ivo, all of it. Was a great time. While rehabbing after his bad crash Don pretty much designed the top fuel dragsters that we see today. He made a joke after the first run in his rear engined car that he just missed a such and such size bolt on the track at the finish line...with fine threads! Joking about how well he could finally see while running down the track without a huge blower in front of him. There's even a shot of his dragster breaking in two at Lions Dragstrip when he almost lost his foot.
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/508695720380448981/
Rocketgeezer:
--- Quote from: Sport on February 11, 2014, 09:06:19 PM ---I realize that most tracks were built in yesteryear but disagree that 'most' don't have the runoff room required for 300+mph dragsters. And like you said, the speeds of the fuelers are where they were when the rule was changed anyway. Only a handful of tracks are too short and most of those have the room to expand. Just a few, like two or three, can't expand the runoff area. I wouldn't change the entire fuel car sport to accommodate just a few drag strips. We're probably stuck with it though due the way it was changed, a driver's death. If I remember right, the length of the track was not the direct cause of his death anyway. Sad all around.
This site has some great old pics. I remember the 200 mph and 8 second barriers being broken, Muldowney, Stone Woods and Cook, Tommy Ivo, all of it. Was a great time. While rehabbing after his bad crash Don pretty much designed the top fuel dragsters that we see today. He made a joke after the first run in his rear engined car that he just missed a such and such size bolt on the track at the finish line...with fine threads! Joking about how well he could finally see while running down the track without a huge blower in front of him. There's even a shot of his dragster breaking in two at Lions Dragstrip when he almost lost his foot.
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/508695720380448981/
--- End quote ---
I normaly would be the last person to advocate early shutdown or slowing the cars in any way, it go's against everything, but I also have to agree that something had to be done, almost like in Nascar, but where would Top fuel speeds be today if there were NO restrictions, and still 1/4 mile other than it had to be a 8 cly engine? I don't know about 400 mph, but can guaranty it would be well over 350 mph, 100% nitro, no gear rule, no weight rule, no blower rule, ........people would be hurt very badly....on a weekly basis, in fact Garlits himself perposed such a car way back when, it was called the NFR car (no foolish rules) basicly outlineing what I said, not sure but I think the powers that be shut it down telling him he would never be allowed to run it anywhere even in exhibition, but it did lead to the enclosed frt end, single strut wing car the he turned over in Englishtown, that car was a tend setter, at the time
Jay:
The tires are the problem. Goodyear has talked of pulling out (it's not a profit maker). If they did, fuel racing is done.
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