STILL TALKING SAFETY #6

About Shelly Howard. I heard through the grapevine that a HANS device wouldn't have saved her. If what I heard is true anyway. However, I agree. If the safety equipment is there, USE IT. My damn Stocker runs mid-12's but I still have a fire jacket, 5 point harness, roll cage, and a helmet. Do I need all of that? Per the rulebook, all I need is the helmet.

You have been around longer than I have and been doing this before I was around. I have seen and heard about wrecks. The worst I remember was 1982 at the Grand American Nationals at AHRA's US 30 Dragstrip in Indiana. I'm sure you know it well, and probably were even there. I remember a solid white with gold striping fuel car go off the track, into the grass with the throttle hung open, sliding sideways until the tires grabbed the track again, shooting the car across the track head on into the guardrail. I recall as the car split into 3 pieces. Rear end and wing, drivers compartment and engine, and front end. I don't know who it was driving, but I'm pretty sure that racer was killed. Fast forward to 2001 at Orlando Speed World for the March points meet. Ziggy Zigovitch shook the tires about 500 ft. The throttle hung there too and shot the car at a 45 degree angle over the guard rail and into the pits wiping out 3 motor homes. I really don't know how he made it out of that ordeal alive much less walking. That was a lot more scary to watch. More twisted tubing than I have ever seen in 1 place and seen
someone make it out of it.

Bottom line is, if no one else does, I agree with you on the safety issue.

Anatol (Tony) Denysenko
MoneyMaker Racing
Lyons IL
IHRA and NHRA national record holder
I/FIA 5302 and 3302 1986 Mercury Capri

STILL TALKING SAFETY #7

Ekkkkk. We are going start thinking for people & adult racers that risk lives every time they race. Sanctioning bodies have created over years the safety devices that protect drivers. The risk is theirs within racing is racing is EGO. That John Force doesn't wear a HANS device is his problem & that Eric Medlen doesn't, his problem. Despite what most of the drag racing world thinks, John Force is not God & Eric Medlen the son of.

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I am saddened by loss of a number of people in a short space of time, but they race & we watch. Do we believe that these people wouldn't race without us watching? Let racers race & NHRA protect them within their guidelines. It would be like suggesting four-wheel disc brakes for walkers for elderly & seat belts for our lounge chairs.

Protecting people from themselves is dangerous state of affairs. Don't we have enough Big Brother/PC constrictions in our daily lives? Let it go, Jeff.

Best Regards.

John Geltink

STILL TALKING SAFETY #8

"If drag racing's major sanctioning bodies make the devices mandatory for cars going nine seconds or quicker. . ."

With all due respect, where does your magic E.T. of 9 seconds or quicker come from? Wouldn't the type of injury the HANS is believed to protect against be a function of speed, not E.T.?

Wayne Darlington
Triple Nickel Racing
Akron, Ohio

BURK RESPONDS

Wayne, you are splitting hairs here, but, since the classes in drag racing are basically based on ET and those that run under 10 seconds generally run around 125 mph or faster, that would be the reason. -- JB