silverado427 10,552 Posted October 6, 2020 Leah Pruett walked away from this insane crash. This is just amazing. jmho 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Krdshrk 3,871 Posted October 6, 2020 Wow that thing folded in half... how did that happen?! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bklynracer 1,259 Posted October 6, 2020 Amazing, looks like air gets underneath it, lifts it up and it snaps in half at a high speed. Luckily it lands right side up on its wheels. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
124gr9mm 857 Posted October 6, 2020 That'll leave a mark... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
67gtonut 847 Posted October 7, 2020 It's actually due to air...... but not what you think The Chrome Moly chassis are designed to flex, and the area in front of the driver compartment is where at lot of flex is meant to happen. When the chassis bows..... it actually allows more pressure to be put down on the rear tires..... This weekend in St Louis the weather was beyond exceptional for making horsepower..... cold dry temps..... the air density was at or below sea level..... This is where these engines can make over 11,000 hp ...... add that to the dense air that will allows the rear wing to generate over 4000 lbs of downforce..... No usually .... even with all that downforce..... the rear tires will still have slippage .... its normal.... But with the unusual conditions teams were having trouble getting enough wheel slippage...... so with all that being said..... all these forces played a roll in just finding a weak link...... and bending the chassis beyond what it could take that day..... and the car snapped in half... Thank god for all the safety precautions that the NHRA put out..... Leah walked away from this...... Now.... there have been times in the past where Top Fuel cars have had a " Blow Over" ..... it does happen when the front wheels get in the air and it will catch the car and blow it over....... this was not the case here.... Truly the perfect storm of very high HP conditions, Dense cool air, and way too much track grip..... 2 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1LtCAP 4,258 Posted October 7, 2020 14 hours ago, Bklynracer said: Amazing, looks like air gets underneath it, lifts it up and it snaps in half at a high speed. Luckily it lands right side up on its wheels. these cars flex....or bow in order to help absorb the horsepower. it looks like it broke in the flex area. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1LtCAP 4,258 Posted October 7, 2020 this was a rough weekend. a pro-stocker(can't remember who it was) let his car drift to the center....he corrected(didn't look like he over-corrected), then next he knew he was airborne. then there was alexis dejoria......explosion near top end that just literally disintegrated her cars body. then in finals, schumachers engine backfires after the burnout, ending his chance of a run..... i think that it was cooler than they expected it to be, and for some reason the tuners didn't seem to dial the engines down....... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Handyman 5,682 Posted October 7, 2020 Meh, women drivers... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Krdshrk 3,871 Posted October 7, 2020 44 minutes ago, 1LtCAP said: this was a rough weekend. a pro-stocker(can't remember who it was) let his car drift to the center....he corrected(didn't look like he over-corrected), then next he knew he was airborne. then there was alexis dejoria......explosion near top end that just literally disintegrated her cars body. then in finals, schumachers engine backfires after the burnout, ending his chance of a run..... i think that it was cooler than they expected it to be, and for some reason the tuners didn't seem to dial the engines down....... Kenny Delco - didn't seem like much of a correction either - something just gripped up. That was a violent explosion and the ride afterwards wow. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JackDaWack 2,894 Posted October 7, 2020 12 hours ago, 67gtonut said: It's actually due to air...... but not what you think The Chrome Moly chassis are designed to flex, and the area in front of the driver compartment is where at lot of flex is meant to happen. When the chassis bows..... it actually allows more pressure to be put down on the rear tires..... This weekend in St Louis the weather was beyond exceptional for making horsepower..... cold dry temps..... the air density was at or below sea level..... This is where these engines can make over 11,000 hp ...... add that to the dense air that will allows the rear wing to generate over 4000 lbs of downforce..... No usually .... even with all that downforce..... the rear tires will still have slippage .... its normal.... But with the unusual conditions teams were having trouble getting enough wheel slippage...... so with all that being said..... all these forces played a roll in just finding a weak link...... and bending the chassis beyond what it could take that day..... and the car snapped in half... Thank god for all the safety precautions that the NHRA put out..... Leah walked away from this...... Now.... there have been times in the past where Top Fuel cars have had a " Blow Over" ..... it does happen when the front wheels get in the air and it will catch the car and blow it over....... this was not the case here.... Truly the perfect storm of very high HP conditions, Dense cool air, and way too much track grip..... Rear wheels push forward, front wheels resist that movement with the front spoilers down force. Its actually one of the most debated factors in all types or racing... how much down force to apply at various locations. Down force gives the vehicle its traction and stability at high speeds, but too much and it creates drag that works against the propelling forces. So they have to find that balance between traction and speed. Or in this case the structural integrity of the machine. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Handyman 5,682 Posted October 7, 2020 Frigging waste of gasoline. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1LtCAP 4,258 Posted October 8, 2020 TOP FUEL and funny car run on nitromethane. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sota 1,191 Posted October 8, 2020 and a lot of it. note, that's for just 1 cylinder. they use 8. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sota 1,191 Posted October 8, 2020 nothing goes boom like a funny car. that engine in front of driver layout, combined with no shell really between driver and motor, and the concussion is just incredible. bell rung doesn't even begin to describe it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1LtCAP 4,258 Posted October 8, 2020 24 minutes ago, Sota said: nothing goes boom like a funny car. that engine in front of driver layout, combined with no shell really between driver and motor, and the concussion is just incredible. bell rung doesn't even begin to describe it. which adds to the job that....shit...who was it? that skidded his car sideways after shutdown to get out? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
67gtonut 847 Posted October 8, 2020 50 minutes ago, 1LtCAP said: which adds to the job that....shit...who was it? that skidded his car sideways after shutdown to get out? Ron Capps Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Handyman 5,682 Posted October 8, 2020 3 hours ago, 1LtCAP said: TOP FUEL and funny car run on nitromethane. Frigging waste of nitromethane. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JackDaWack 2,894 Posted October 9, 2020 19 hours ago, Sota said: and a lot of it. note, that's for just 1 cylinder. they use 8. 15 gallons per run Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diamondd817 823 Posted October 9, 2020 On 10/6/2020 at 6:05 PM, Krdshrk said: Wow that thing folded in half... how did that happen?! 11,000hp and probably a hairline crack in that chassis. That's how it happened. If you never experienced top fuel racing in person, it's really hard to describe. You need to go at least once in your lifetime. You can see the the tires expand and chassis bow as they accelerate down the track. It's almost physics defying and seems like a cartoon. In the words of my daughter her first time seeing top fuel dragsters go down the track at full power -"that looked fake". And the sound, oh the sound. And btw, FU Englishtown. Another American tradition cancelled. 1 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diamondd817 823 Posted October 9, 2020 On 10/8/2020 at 5:10 PM, Sota said: and a lot of it. note, that's for just 1 cylinder. they use 8. Yep, appox 1,400hp per cylinder. Get you some of that! 22 hours ago, Handyman said: Frigging waste of nitromethane. I love the smell of nitromethane in the morning. Burns the eyes. Oh, so nice. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1LtCAP 4,258 Posted October 9, 2020 59 minutes ago, diamondd817 said: 11,000hp and probably a hairline crack in that chassis. That's how it happened. If you never experienced top fuel racing in person, it's really hard to describe. You need to go at least once in your lifetime. You can see the the tires expand and chassis bow as they accelerate down the track. It's almost physics defying and seems like a cartoon. In the words of my daughter her first time seeing top fuel dragsters go down the track at full power -"that looked fake". And the sound, oh the sound. And btw, FU Englishtown. Another American tradition cancelled. ATCO'S been sold now too 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diamondd817 823 Posted October 9, 2020 1 hour ago, 1LtCAP said: ATCO'S been sold now too Maple Grove is a within driving range for a day trip. I went there last year. No pro mods though. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sota 1,191 Posted October 10, 2020 Scott Kalitta. Died when his car crashed into a pole at the end of the sand trap. Concussion of the engine explosion knocked him out; the crash killed him. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sota 1,191 Posted October 10, 2020 ATCO sold, as in no more track at all? damn. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1LtCAP 4,258 Posted October 10, 2020 11 hours ago, Sota said: Scott Kalitta. Died when his car crashed into a pole at the end of the sand trap. Concussion of the engine explosion knocked him out; the crash killed him. yea. that's the incident that spawned the 1,000 foot races, rather than the full 1/4 mile(1320ft). 11 hours ago, Sota said: ATCO sold, as in no more track at all? damn. my understanding is that it's gonna either be an auto auction site, and/or a storage facility for wrecks that the insurance companies buy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silverado427 10,552 Posted October 10, 2020 I use to bracket race at Atco. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sota 1,191 Posted October 10, 2020 I made 39 runs at Atco one year. Buddy of mine had rented the track for the day to test the Red Sled. $200, come play for the whole day. So, I did. slow FWD. 8.86 1/4 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1LtCAP 4,258 Posted October 10, 2020 5 hours ago, silverado427 said: I use to bracket race at Atco. i used to bracket race my 89 gt. used to run it in the gamblers race sometimes. we ran our shop camaro in the gamblers race every week. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1LtCAP 4,258 Posted October 19, 2020 miss alexis having a bad 2 weekends......thankfully she's ok. i ain't seen a funnycar burn this bad in years...... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
67gtonut 847 Posted October 20, 2020 Have it recorded..... but did see that.... Del needs to take a serious look at things..... and he said as much.... I question the fire suppression system on that run..... but the body might have been too far gone for the system to put out.... Either way.... glad she is ok Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites