quote:

Originally posted by SCDIV1:
Never had any chassis inspector look at anything but the drivers cage area....

Have had 2 dragsters going back to 1996-1997 and about 3 different NHRA Div 1 guys do the check including the present Division Director....

Only once has any of them asked for the body panels to be removed and that was 3 years ago by a guy who had never done either of my cars before..

Even with body panels removed he did not look at anything but the drivers area and he was not looking nor would he find any cracks...

I am scheduled to get checked again end of the month.....

I check my car often for cracks and have fixed them myself and the issues were never anywhere around the drivers area.....

The NHRA chassis cert is better than nothing but it is not very thorough.....and ignores all the areas that dragsters tend to develop problems....

My first car was ETI certified and again never checked for anything other than drivers area and all the other SFI equipment ....

EXACTLY…

quote:

Originally posted by SCDIV1:
Never had any chassis inspector look at anything but the drivers cage area....

Have had 2 dragsters going back to 1996-1997 and about 3 different NHRA Div 1 guys do the check including the present Division Director....

Only once has any of them asked for the body panels to be removed and that was 3 years ago by a guy who had never done either of my cars before..

Even with body panels removed he did not look at anything but the drivers area and he was not looking nor would he find any cracks...

I am scheduled to get checked again end of the month.....

I check my car often for cracks and have fixed them myself and the issues were never anywhere around the drivers area.....

The NHRA chassis cert is better than nothing but it is not very thorough.....and ignores all the areas that dragsters tend to develop problems....

My first car was ETI certified and again never checked for anything other than drivers area and all the other SFI equipment ....

The chassis cert is to make sure that it is constructed to the specs outlined in the rulebook. If they can't point out where it is incorrect as per the rulebook, then its correct! In 25+ years of getting dragster chassis inspection I have never seen them go beyond the cage & footbox area. I have never seen them even look at the problem areas on a dragster. Personally I think the initial chassis inspection on a car that has never been stickered should be more comprehensive (and they can charge more) with sonic checking & all that but then subsequent re-inspections to make sure any pertinent updates have been made could be more reasonably priced... like so many other things in NHRA, its a money grab in the name of safety.

All the last inspector did was make sure tubing was thick enough, and the bars were the right sizes around the driver. I get that part. But also, that part doesn't change.

quote:

Same racers or their families are suing everyone in a serious or fatal crash, blaming everyone but themselves.

FACT ! no shiits given here ...

quote:

Originally posted by Boucher Jr:
So yall feel all warm n fuzzy because the idiots at nhra make sure the guy in the other lane doesnt have an expired window net.

The very same idiots at nhra then turn around and let any ol' sand wedge get behind the wheel of whatever their non drivin talentless dreams are and ya dont mind a bit.....

Point is....

As usual yall are blind to the actual problem. It needs to be much harder to get behind the wheel.

Example:
Youre sand wedge a$$ wrecks one doin a burnout? Banned for life.

But in the meantime, keep takin your perfectly good glides out and sending the cases in if it makes ya feel good

I said this a month or two ago and some on here called me crazy.

quote:

Originally posted by BD104X:



The chassis cert is to make sure that it is constructed to the specs outlined in the rulebook. If they can't point out where it is incorrect as per the rulebook, then its correct! In 25+ years of getting dragster chassis inspection I have never seen them go beyond the cage & footbox area. I have never seen them even look at the problem areas on a dragster. Personally I think the initial chassis inspection on a car that has never been stickered should be more comprehensive (and they can charge more) with sonic checking & all that but then subsequent re-inspections to make sure any pertinent updates have been made could be more reasonably priced... like so many other things in NHRA, its a money grab in the name of safety.

Exactly Correct Billy.....

I often wondered if I started building a dragster and just took drivers compartment in done and nothing else if it would cert?

Having dealt with the insurance companies and NHRA and IHRA at tracks I owned, if there is an injury you just fill out a report, file the claim and they rush to pay it and get a Release signed, period. Never, ever, even with a fatality at my track did NHRA or Insurance company do one thing, look at one safety item, nothing.
If it was a National event they might write stuff down but locally, forget it.

When they started telling me a piece of 6061 1/4" thick aluminum transmission shield was junk and not safe in 5 years, (when the plane you fly in have 20 year old aluminum plates under constant stress and are OK) that was the last of me worrying about NHRA or IHRA and tech. I use the correct stuff as much as possible but have not been "inspected" in years for much other than belt dates, helmet and if master disconnect would turn car off when it was idling.

Personal responsibility are way more important than an SFI sticker. No safety rule says you can't unhook your helmet on the way down the track, loosen the belts, just says you have to have them.

Come on toad you know the sun wears out that aluminum shield

Oh yeh, about forgot about the SUN!!! Burns up SFI harnesses too, sitting in enclosed trailers and shops. NHRA probably thinks bracket racers all have open trailers and cars sit outside LOL!!

they did when this rule was insituted.

That said, we proven over and over that we can't police ourselves. I personally know of racers competing at these big $ races witout a current chassis cert, with expired belts, without a diaper, without the required jacket/pants for the ETs they are running, without neck collars, headsocks, gloves, yada, yada, yada.

Few today in our society take personal responsibility for anything, don't respect any authority and feel they are entitled to have it all and do whatever they want.

My competitor not wearing his Fire Suit does not effect my safety in any way.

WE know not many bad things happen at bracket races in general. But is it really fair to the track crew that you are NOT wearing safety equipment? What about when the guy wearing PJ pants gets into a fire situation and melts his/her pants to their legs? OR the guy that wears an open face helmet and loose belts gets into a wreck and gets slung in the car? Racers have to rememeber, its NOT always about yourself, but it can also be for the person helping you OUT of the car after something bad happened.
Personally, I wouldnt mind seeing tracks refuse to help somebody IF they arent doing what they are supposed to do. Bet it wouldnt take long for people to act right.

I think everyone should follow the rules. Still like someone said it does not effect me in any way what firesuit the other guy is wearing. In the end we are responsible for our own safety. Our safety is not like the Corona where if you are not vaccinated you can give it to someone who is vaccinated. I will not get burned if my competitor does not have the right or expired firesuit.

Also contrary to popular opinion after two years your seatbelts do not turn to dust and fall apart. I think the seatbelt rule should be 10 years or any visual damage or a crash.

As for Chassis certification sure it is a good thing but that is only for driver safety. It has nothing to do with what would cause a crash. Often front A -Arms welds will crack, Some of the frames have cracked or broken in the four link area and on long cars can have crack or break most any where. When they certify your chassis they do not look over A-Arms and everything. Mainly in drivers compartment. So do not think just because you got a chassis certification that your car is safe. It may or may not be.


I do think all of the cars should have a diaper and that should be strictly enforced.

As far as inspecting the car for safety that is on you the driver. So in the short term it does not matter to me what you do as far as your safety is concerned.
In the long term and in our Society people can still sue even though the accident or problem was their fault and they signed a waiver so that could have a long term effect on all of us.

We used to have a track here in our area that was getting sued all the time for noise. They Won every case as far as I know but ended up going out of business and closing down because that was all they were doing was fighting lawsuits. Point is even though they "Won" we all lost. Not following the rules could hurt all of us long term.

While it would not affect my safety if my competitor did not wear a helmet,belts,or a firesuit,it might make that driver "more comfortable " in the heat which could give them an advantage on the race track.

I always wear all my stuff, and I ride my buddies to get them to wear theirs. But I'm not going to complain about someone I don't know not wearing theirs. Not my job to police the world.

I guess my track is more stringent on the rules since the NHRA headquarters is literally at the main gate.

As ED says, NHRA events are way more likely to enforce safety rules and Tech

At Maple Grove I have been called out for leaning to far forward on the starting line. They said I was past the cage and tighten my belts. Easy to see from the tower and I know I was doing it to get a better look at the tree......OLD EYES sometimes suck.....

And was also flagged for removing seat belts before the turn off road once in a door car and I guess I did it but don't really remember

I have no problem with them looking out for my safety because chit happens

I've been b-i-t-c-h slapped a couple other times for stupid behavior and I deserved it.....Temper got me a time or two and stupidity one other time.....Got kicked out of a National event after winning rd 1 in a Stocker.......That one hurt but it clearly was my fault and I took the punishment and moved on

lol The one year at the divisional at RT 66. We all had to pull the body panels off at the end of the turn around road. And yes they were looking for the MSD 7531. Nailed one.

while your lack of PSE doesn't effect me directly if you burn up and possibly die, this is also about the cost to compete. I want YOU to have to spend the same $ I do to compete for safety equipment and if you can't afford to or don't want to, you shouldn't be allowed to race and if I see you at a divsional or national event without the required safety equipment, I will inform the officials!