You Only Live Once

By George Klass (09-24-09)

There was a time in drag racing when there were no mandatory requirements for Arm Restraints, Bellhousing Shields, Driveshaft Loops, Helmets, Roll Bars, Roll Cages, Protective Clothing, Neck Collars, etc.

All of these safety devices and requirements came as a direct result of a dead or maimed racer.  Not very pretty but that is a fact.  There are too many drag racers that are not here today simply because one or more of the existing NHRA or SFI requirements were not required at the time.

When the first Funny Cars came into being in the 60's, it was a requirement that the driver had to be able to get out of his car in an emergency.  When the first "flip top" Mercury Comet appeared in '65, there were no doors on the one-piece body shell.  The driver was literally required to wait until his pit crew came down to the other end of the track in order to lift the body up, so he could get out.  That's one of the reasons that Jack Chrisman cut the roof off of his Comet and made a roadster out of it.  He didn't much like the idea of not being able to get out on his own in the event of a fire.

In short order, NHRA mandated that all Funny Cars had to have a hatch that could be opened in the roof, in the event of an emergency.  This rule is still in effect today.

Now, in Sportsman racing, we have an issue that hasn't raised any red flags (yet) with either NHRA or SFI, and that is the inability of some racers to get out of their cars in an emergency.

In the event of an emergency, such as a crash, with the car coming to rest up against the wall on the driver's side, the driver will need to get out through the passenger door. 

If he can, of course. 

If he's conscious. 

If the worst happens and he is not conscious, the track emergency crew will need to extricate him.  Depending on his injuries, he may need to be placed on a back-board prior to his removal.

Now, let's throw a fire into the mix.

Do you see where I'm going with this?  Between tall shift levers, nitrous bottles and intercoolers and the related tubing, there are some cars that are not just going to be difficult to get out of, but next to impossible.

Take a look at some of the supercharged or turbocharged cars the next time you are in the pits.  Take a look at the intercooler and related tubing located in the passenger seat area.  Intercoolers and the tubing CAN be designed and installed so that a driver can escape (or be rescued) in the event that the worst happens.  Some racers are obviously concerned for their own safety.  Some racers are apparently either not concerned or haven't thought much about it.

Getting out of the car in an emergency is one of those areas of major concern.  We should have some rules in this area BEFORE any racer pays the price.  Because of the newer chassis certifications for 7.49 or quicker vehicles, all of these cars have an "X" in the door openings.  It is my contention that the intercooler and the related tubing should be BELOW any of this roll cage tubing.  Same with the nitrous bottles.  A little time and effort and some strategic thinking, can result in an efficient intercooler system or nitrous bottle mounts and provide a better exit in the event that the worst case happens.  No one wants to wait until something bad happens first.  We should be thinking about these issues head-on before we have a catastrophe on our hands.  

GK

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