IndianaOpenWheel.com Sprint Car & Midget Racing Forum





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jim goerge (Offline)
  #1 9/21/18 6:03 PM
We have lost another driver this week to bring the total to two I believe, I"m only counting sprint cars. Has anybody else noticed both happened with drivers running a wing? I remember being told racing was safer cuz that big wing will save you. Sure that wing made the car more sable and faster, but most times the wing breaks off at first impact so there goes your safety. I never understood the,faster is safer BS, I always figured the faster you go the harder you hit that coming from someone who took a lot of hits when I raced. It seems to happen on bigger tracks I don"t really know the answer on how to stop it but to me losing two drivers is two to many. Anybody have any ideas?
sp6967 (Offline)
  #2 9/21/18 7:02 PM
sprint car racing needs to do something like the nhra has done, their nitro divisions don't run a quarter mile anymore for safety reasons. maybe sprint car racing should follow suit. top divisions of 410 sprint cars should run only on quarter miles, that would slow them down.

"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help." President Ronald Reagan
TQ29m (Offline)
  #3 9/21/18 7:30 PM
I believe safer? and better racing, JMHO. Bob

"Being old, isn't half as much fun, as getting there"! Ole Robert I!
Charles Nungester (Offline)
  #4 9/21/18 7:42 PM
Originally Posted by sp6967:
sprint car racing needs to do something like the nhra has done, their nitro divisions don't run a quarter mile anymore for safety reasons. maybe sprint car racing should follow suit. top divisions of 410 sprint cars should run only on quarter miles, that would slow them down.

So what did the Nitro do, Slow down 4mph? It was for engine wear and because some tracks did not have enough run off.

I do think the NHRA and NHRA Hoop cage should be considered.

I got no idea the Cause of Death in this one, All I can do is wish his family and friends comfort and prayers.

Generally a wing if it hits in a flip will slow and soften the impact. But there are three other sides of the car.

Charles Nungester
2 Likes: fish, jim goerge
chrismattlin (Offline)
  #5 9/21/18 7:53 PM
chrismattlin (Offline)
  #6 9/21/18 7:54 PM
Originally Posted by sp6967:
sprint car racing needs to do something like the nhra has done, their nitro divisions don't run a quarter mile anymore for safety reasons. maybe sprint car racing should follow suit. top divisions of 410 sprint cars should run only on quarter miles, that would slow them down.
They already did- 410s don't run the miles any longer.
5 Likes: fish, jim goerge, oppweld, Pat O'Connor Fan, PIT CART
Chief Wahoo (Offline)
  #7 9/21/18 7:59 PM
Man, this sucks bad. I know it sounded like a freak accident, but tracks need to seriously start looking for ways to make their facilities safer. Take TSS for instance. When T-Mez crashed hard a fews months back coming out of turn 4, went airborne, and hit the caution lights, Tommy put up a catch fence to protect not only the drivers, but the fans. Track owners need to evaluate their tracks and figure out where the danger spots are and try to put up catch fences, soft barriers, or anything to help eliminate or lessen the chance of driver fatalities. I know there is never going to be a end all solution, but we can and should be fixing the safety of the tracks. RIP Greg and Jason

Eat dirt, be happy
Let’s go Brandon!!
Bryan Hirshman
5 Likes: Bobv, jim goerge, JordanBlanton, Morin Racing 98, oppweld
TCR57 (Offline)
  #8 9/21/18 8:07 PM
Design of access areas, entrance, exits, should have some sort of uniform standards IMO.
2 Likes: jim goerge, oppweld
kinser (Offline)
  #9 9/21/18 8:07 PM
Anytime someone loses their life it is a tragedy. But every time something like this happens everyone has all these crazy ideas about what to do. No matter what you do to the cars or tracks sprint car racing is a very dangerous sport. When your number is up it’s up no matter what you do to try and prevent it.
12 Likes: BrentTFunk, duel, fish, jim goerge, Ken Bonnema, luckybuc97, oppweld, PAW, PIT CART, racenut69, scottyCbus, turn4
JordanBlanton (Offline)
  #10 9/21/18 8:33 PM
Sprint car racing is inherently dangerous, no doubt. That doesn’t negate the fact that certain track design features needlessly increase that danger. Racing will not suffer without blunt openings for cars to crash into. The cars are safer than they were 10, 20, 30 years ago. Why can’t the tracks be, too?
11 Likes: bighd0522, Bobv, Bostonian, Charles Nungester, Chief Wahoo, duel, jim goerge, jonboat15, oppweld, RedRacer07, trannyman
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