[Hawker]

Originally Posted by sprinter25 C'mon, people - if K.O. was really sincere about being "old school", he would have ditched the 5 point harness and used a "Sam Brown" belt. And wearing the bottom half of a fire suit"? What, was he chicken or something? "You can't teach stupid" - Ron White

This guy didn't feel the "need" for any belts!!! But at least he has a helmet and goggles!!!

:respect::respect::respect:

[chadsniffsmethanol]

Originally Posted by Al Soran Nobody wants to see anyone get hurt. But, who decides where you stop with the safety devices? Again, wings no doubt cushion the driver in a crash. Should we all run them? How about a nerf car that extends around the wheels? That would eliminate a lot of the flips. Mandatory halon systems would save folks from burning. Perhaps airbags that deploy with a hard hit? And on and on..... My point is that somewhere in all of this, you can lose the "sport" of racing. It may sound bad, but sprint car racing is attractive to me because I know folks can get hurt, yet they still go out there and blast a cushion wide open. Thay harness the power, and face the danger. It's exciting. If we safetyfy it to the point that it's just a bunch of padded cars going around a padded track, I'm not sure anyone will want to watch it. It's a fine line between keeping drivers and fans safe, and maintaining the integrity of the sport. I mean, fenders would certainly make them safer, maybe restrictor plates, safer barrier walls,...is this beginning to sound familiar?

Al, this is a great point and pretty much how i feel about the whole safety equipment. The 40's 50's and 60's are considered sprint cars glory days. Stands were filled with people who wanted to watch drivers racing sprint cars literally on the edge of disaster and flirting with death lap after lap. Danger sells. Nascar died with Dale Sr. The sport became obsessed with safety in order to please the huge companies that didn't want bad images. Look at Nascar today, the COT isn't a race car at all, it's a big safety bus. Racing isn't safe, sprint cars are the last crude form of racing left. I never want to see this sport end up like Nascar, an organization that was once truly full of characters.

Originally Posted by openwheelKT .....To this day, I remember everything of that accident like it happened an hour ago.....

It seems to me that the fact that you remember this incident so vividly after all these years PROVES that it did, in fact, have a long term effect on you.

[openwheelKT]

Originally Posted by Al Soran Apparently, KO was willing to risk running in a T-shirt and open faced helmet. His decision. Right or wrong, cool or stupid, it was his decision, and no official must have told him he couldn't.

That right there was my one and only point. Don't jump on KO about it. Smart or stupid, he was the one in the seat. His feeling was that it was OK so he did it. Just because others feel it was wrong don't jump him because he did it. Be pissed at the officials, fine. He wasn't told no so that's it.

[openwheelKT]

Originally Posted by Dano959 It seems to me that the fact that you remember this incident so vividly after all these years PROVES that it did, in fact, have a long term effect on you.

I didn't say there was no effect. I was talking about seeing something as a kid and being tramatized. Which obviously I wasn't or I would have never gone to a race again. If you're worried about a kid being scared for life, a race track isn't the place to be. Bad things can happen. That's my point.

[mscs20]

Just a note to the guy who asked about the Snell rating, it was an SA2005 Bell Mag 5, new at last years Chili Bowl. He wore it in last years race also. Where was all this hoopla back then? To my knowledge, the helmet now has 2 race weekends on it. As a sponsored Bell driver, Kevin asked me for the helmet and I gave it to him. Questioning his decisions have already been been debated here, but maybe it's time Emmitt Hahn and Lanny Edwards come up with a true Pit Stewart and Safety/Tech Inspector and adopt or come up with some basic, common sense rules. There is no pre-inspection at Tulsa. Did anyone check the seat belts in JJ or Krusemans cars? They run those cars 1 race year and are now what, 5 years old or so? Generally belts go 2 years. But without any rules or anyone to enforce them, things will continue until the "big one" happens. I like the "run whatcha brung" program, but maybe at least it shouldn't be "wear whatcha brung".
Steve Thomas, Bell Racing Director

[JackWissmller]

Where is the guy with the beatin' the dead horse gif. when you need him?

[Duane Hancock]

Originally Posted by Midget82 :action-smiley-049: I'm sorry for being so blind Duane... I didn't know the Chili Bowl was in Fort Wayne, IN... :doh:

opps well damn i know i seen a few flames ups at the Bowl. Or maybe my glasses were to fogged up or dust got on my lens and i was thinking i seen more than 1 flare up all week. Didnt Kasey's car have a little flare up, and some guy a few nights before?? maybe i am just to stupid to pay attention anymore....:headbang:

Jake,

He's talking to you.
bring out the horse

From JimMorrison

From Jim Morrison,

But, one last word.
While I think KO was reckless for running that way, he got approval first. That's where the real responsibility lays -- the person who OK'd it.