05.13.09: It was bothering me what Gateway International Raceway, St. Louis, stated they did with the recently finished major overhaul of their shut-down emergency gravel trap area. One, the first of two catch nets they placed at the 25-foot mark of the gravel trap, instead of the end of the trap as is normally done. Two, after the second catch net at the end of the trap, they built a 90-foot wide, four-foot tall concrete wall with a 12-foot wire-supported chain link fence built on top of it. This sounded crazy since a wall at the end of the gravel trap is what killed Scott Kalitta last year at Englishtown. Unlike Englishtown, at GIR in front of the concrete wall, are rows of safety barrels filled with sand. However, the gel barrels available are 100% superior to sand.
I figured that like Englishtown, GIR ran out of land and had to stop the cars no matter what. Even though the gravel trap length was increased to 165 feet this is still inadequate. I also remembered, like Englishtown, that GIR had trees at the end of their dragstrip. FYI, I have never attended an event at GIR. I was going to look at a GIR aerial photo to understand this situation better. However, during the Midwest Nationals there were two major and one moderate top-end Pro Modified crashes. All three drivers sustained no serious injures. So it's a two-for-one deal. Wild crash photos which includes the end of the track emergency shut-down area. First photos are of the new gravel trap area and wall. The front catch net is not installed. The bottom-line is, that despite the modifications, GIR should not be allowed to host quarter-mile NHRA nitro racing in the future. # SNIP # ~ FlA
But there is much more to the GIR Pro Mods crashes story. . . .
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(Continued)There was a fourth Pro Modified crash that the NHRA media missed. On Monday, May 4, at Gateway International Raceway, NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car driver Melanie Troxel was attempting to earn her Pro Mod license driving Raymond Commisso’s Firebird. The car is owned by Melanie's 2008 Funny Car team owner Roger Burgess of R2B2 Racing who parked the FC team due to lack of 2009 sponsorship. This season Roger is running two Pro Mod cars. On Melanie's third pass she crashed flipping the car on its roof - * VIDEO *. She was uninjured but learned the hard way how volatile and highly unstable these 2,000+ horsepower cars are.
The Monday after the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol there was an NHRA approved testing day. Melaine was at the track with team owner Roger Burgess and Raymond Commisso’s fully repaired Pro Modified car in order to make more runs to earn her Pro Mod license(see below track photo). In 2008, she won the NHRA Funny Car "Wally" at Bristol becoming the first woman to win events in both NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car. According to track reports, Melaine made four runs of various length (mostly 330 feet), but no full quarter-mile passes. I don't know what the exact requirements are to earn a Pro Mod license. But if she is successful, Melanie plans to debut at the NHRA SuperNationals, Englishtown.
However, there is a major problem. I, and many other NHRA veterans, have very serious problems with Pro Mods and NHRA negligence in managing this drag racing class. While I greatly enjoy blown Pro Mods, and they are very popular with racing fans, the fact is these cars are unsafe and more dangerous than nitro/alcohol Funny Cars. Further, most Pro Mod drivers are much less experienced than top nitro/alcohol drivers. Blown Pro Mods have the ability to run the quarter-mile in the mid-high 5 seconds range at 250+ mph. Their chassis specs, and the fact that they are suspended, are inadequate for the 2,000-2,500+ horsepower motors being used. There continues to be a significant number of Pro Mod crashes in both NHRA and the American Drag Racing League(ADRL), which is 660 feet(1/8 mile) candy-ass drag racing. I understand one NHRA PMod driver has been killed at the track and two others seriously injured. Since I don't follow this class there many be others that I have not heard/read about. Further, many top alcohol dragster and funny car drivers/teams are very upset about the current Pro Mods lack of proper regulation.
In short, the only reason NHRA is allowing this situation to continue is they are extremely desperate to sell event tickets, the Al-Anabi racing(TF Larry Dixon, FC Del Worsham) owner, Qatar Shiek Khalid, also owns the top two points leaders Pro Mod cars, and NHRA "brass" are threatened by the success? of the ADRL. However, the crowds at ADRL events only looks successful because their President Kenny Nowling gives away boat loads of free tickets to every event. - American Drag Racing League (FR NHRA #41)
In my opinion, the macro problem is that NHRA "brass" once again appears incompetent to their insurance company. It's the insurance company that is calling the shots regarding the NHRA's returning to quarter-mile(mixed 1,000 ft - 1/4 mile) nitro racing next year, along with the changes required. If another Pro Mod driver is killed/seriously injured this season, and the family sues the NHRA because they have let the Pro Mod class run amok, it will undermine the entire nitro racing efforts. This presumes the insurance company doesn't cancel the NHRA's coverage, which will not be the first company to do so. The thing that really upset me was that after four crashes at Topeka, all NHRA did was have a "friendly talk" with the PMod drivers/owners at Bristol about being safe, and then veteran drag racing school instructor Frank Hawley spent 15 minutes talking with the drivers on the "science of changing their minds on when to lift from an errant race car." It's stuff like this that makes insurers go crazy and plaintiff's attorneys see big dollar signs.
Bristol Original Testing Photo Courtesy: Yonson Racing. Edited/enhanced by FlA & Co.
I remember when this was NHRA's logo and the mission statement in which founder Wally Park built this great sport. Now, NHRA's President Tom Compton's only concern is how much money he can bag from this non-profit organization so he will not be in any financial danger of having to sell his Bentley.
I noticed Tom's major triumph this week was ringing the opening bell at the NYSE. . . BFD. NHRA has a full time marketing weenie and staff, in their California corporate headquarters, from IMG Sports and Entertainment Group that dreams up this garbage. IMG's president was also at the NYSE for the "ringing" of his personal $ pockets. I guarantee that drag racing fans don't give a [beep] about this stuff. And, it proves how out of touch NHRA is with them. ~ fla
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