Early in my racing career, when I had 4 wheel drum brakes on my car, I stabbed brakes at the finish line at Atco and crossed into the other lane behind the dragster I was running. I was fortunate not to hit him. I swore that would never happen again. I replaced everything with Wilwood disc, front and rear before I raced again.

I was at Capitol Raceway many years later and I hit brakes slightly (while still holding the gas pedal to the floor) and the front tires locked on me. I got yelled at by the track manager when I picked up my time slip. When I got back to my trailer, the tech guy (my friend) was waiting for me and gave me a bunch of ****. Said I was unsafe etc and I assured him it was not intentional and I don't drive that way. Come to find out the rear rubber hose had failed and the rear brakes were not working at all. No wonder the fronts locked, I had no rear brakes.

2 years ago, I was racing at Mason Dixon. I went thru the finish line 1st round and lifted, hit the brakes pretty hard as the 4.50 dragster I was running was bouncing by me and into my lane. My front end went into a violent shake and started bouncing too. I kept her in my lane and got it back under control. When I got back to the pits I found the right front steering arm bolt was loose and the tire was flopping around (causing it to bounce.) That scared the doodoo out of me. I added some lock tight to both sides and re-tighened them.

My point is, **** happens, the more you race, the more likely things will go wrong at some point. I have never been an aggressive braker at the finish line, I know better.

quote:

Originally posted by Canted Valve:
^^^^ Let's focus on the positive shall we.... "incredible save".

More like along for the ride and lucky.

quote:

Originally posted by Tom Reyer:
I would say this is pretty excessive and fits the definition of what not to do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXHeCpBAagA

That video is one of the most watched videos in NHRA history.155k views is more hits than John Force gets.

Repetitively excessively braking is what causes a lot of the "fluke issues."

When you excessively brake run after run (I'm not necessarily talking about losing control here, I'm saying laying on the brakes to the brink of locking tires up.) it puts excessive stress on those particular nuts and bolts.

Either the driver is driving over their own head, or the driver can handle it, but does not work on the car.

I do not agree with driving this way to begin with.

However, you cannot in good conscience drive like this, if you are not willing to take time every week to go over each nut and bolt on the suspension/braking systems.

I could care less how anyone drives their car...that said, I care a whole lot about how it may affect my car as in hitting me...that's why I am all for immediate DQ if you excessive brake....I don't care if you stay in your own lane or not...at some point you won't...trying to justify any practice which results in the driver not being in control of their car is nonsense in my opinion...

This is “excessive braking”…

skid marks, smoke from the front tires, front tires flat

in the absence of anyone of these telltale signs, it is not.

Okay,here is another issue.
What if someone is disqualified for "excessive braking",but they race in another class or have another entry left in the race.
Should they get disqualified in the other class or entry too?

It's the NHRA's sandbox, and they can define excessive braking however they like, and they don't have to be consistent or clear. It's like the old joke about pornography - I can't define it, but I know it when I see it? Same with excessive braking. Anyone unhappy with that can race elsewhere.

This^^^

quote:

Originally posted by 442OLDS:
Okay,here is another issue.
What if someone is disqualified for "excessive braking",but they race in another class or have another entry left in the race.
Should they get disqualified in the other class or entry too?

Yes, the driver is being penalized for a rules infraction, not the car.

Prep the finish line every time you prep the starting line, during any given race.

That'll solve the problem in a hurry, if there really is one..

quote:

quote:
Originally posted by Canted Valve:
^^^^ Let's focus on the positive shall we.... "incredible save". HMMMM



More like along for the ride and lucky.

Hey, just quoting the article. D'oh

The rule as written in the NHRA Rulebook states Anytime that it has been judged that excessive braking has resulted in loss of control that results in contact with the guardwall and/or light fixtures or crossing the center boundary lines, INCLUDING PAST THE FINISH LINE, the contestant will be disqualified.

Some years ago I had a dispute at my local NHRA sanctioned track...I went to the tower with my rulebook which clearly showed I was correct...they told me the track has the final say rulebook or not...I drove to Gainesville and took up the matter with the Division 2 director...he told me the rulebook is a "guideline" for the tracks but they have the final say on any matter even if it completely disregards the written word...excessive braking is whatever the track decides it is...

quote:

Originally posted by fuzzy dice:
Some years ago I had a dispute at my local NHRA sanctioned track...I went to the tower with my rulebook which clearly showed I was correct...they told me the track has the final say rulebook or not...I drove to Gainesville and took up the matter with the Division 2 director...he told me the rulebook is a "guideline" for the tracks but they have the final say on any matter even if it completely disregards the written word...excessive braking is whatever the track decides it is...

I agree until it becomes an NHRA envent.