The season is coming to a close and in brackets racing this year we saw new ownership in IHRA and a new sanctioning body with WDRA. Plenty of talk of insurance and buying power but has there been any improvements in track safety? Has there been any talk of the sanctioning bodies promoting safety? I've not raced much this year but the little I have I have not seen or heard anything about safety. I see tracks with no ambulance and in some cases possibly not qualified personnel as the safety crew. Don't see or hear of any tech inspection or disqualification for safety violation. Biggest knee jerk reaction a year ago after a fatality was watching and possibly fining people for clicking off their belts or helmet before the return road but I'm sure that's over. In the race for who has the most tracks signed up it seems they are turning a blind eye to track construction and guard rails/walls or lack of.
Anyone seen or heard of any talk of safety?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Eman,

NONE of what you mention has anything to do with the *HRA's, and EVERYTHING to do with the individual track operator or promoters.

Safety concern is a weekly constant at all of the legit tracks.
Recent "extra" attention to hot topics like premature removal of safety gear.
At least one or two people trained in incident response and extractions is standard.

Again, nothing to do with the sanctioning body, they just set the guidelines and cover their a$$.

To expand on what Goob said many tracks are cutting corners to meet budgets. Now we always assumed they had fire truck and ambulance on site and that is not always the case now.

On site ambulance is never used to transport anyone from track it is there to assist in at track injurys a ambulance from town is always used to transport in as far a firetrucks only seen those on night of fire jet car shows to put out the fence burning behind the water box-lol

quote:

NONE of what you mention has anything to do with the *HRA's, and EVERYTHING to do with the individual track operator or promoters.

IHRA's seem to be the promoters of their insurance, WDRA videos talked a lot about the insurance. That in itself would tie them to possibly promoting track safety. Yes it's up to the individual tracks but you would think the -HRA's would encourage safety as a way to promote the sport. I'm old enough to know how and why the NHRA got started. But I guess we're in the street outlaw days still.
On site ambulance is not used to transport if it is the track's ambulance or there is a protocol of not transporting unless life threatening. I've been at a track where the ambulance transported and we waited for another ambulance before racing resumed.

quote:

Originally posted by Eman:
Yes it's up to the individual tracks but you would think the -HRA's would encourage safety as a way to promote the sport.

We all know that if you want to appeal to racers, beef up the safety rules and/or their enforcement!

Once again little tires in front big’uns in the back….SEND IT…

quote:

Originally posted by Eman:

quote:

NONE of what you mention has anything to do with the *HRA's, and EVERYTHING to do with the individual track operator or promoters.

IHRA's seem to be the promoters of their insurance, WDRA videos talked a lot about the insurance. That in itself would tie them to possibly promoting track safety. Yes it's up to the individual tracks but you would think the -HRA's would encourage safety as a way to promote the sport. I'm old enough to know how and why the NHRA got started. But I guess we're in the street outlaw days still.
On site ambulance is not used to transport if it is the track's ambulance or there is a protocol of not transporting unless life threatening. I've been at a track where the ambulance transported and we waited for another ambulance before racing resumed.

It's a relationship of mutual CYA policy. Insurance underwriters get a "group" sale, the *HRA gets a "benefit" they can sell to the operators, and ALL of the responsibilities for safety fall upon the operator and participants, at the end.
The insurance company will periodically show up to inspect facilities and check bleacher maintenance logs, incident reports, and all the associated CYA paperwork.
Never seen them show up on a race day.

Track owned ambulances never leave the property, they call for transport when needed.
They're there for first aid.
Many tracks will contract with the local fire department or commercial ambulance service for coverage, and another off track incident will have priority.

NHRA does *require* a dedicated "fire response" unit.
Usually a 40 gallon or so pressurized tank with the Fire Aid water mix.

My local track that has personnel widely scattered at least has a 10 lb. extinguisher on the wall every 100' or so through the end.

quote:

Originally posted by WHOMPWHOMP:
Once again little tires in front big’uns in the back….SEND IT…

This.

Take care. Tom Worthington

Speaking of the -HRA's, what is the latest?

IHRA has announced they will be making some changes and become more racer friendly and will possibly adding more classes.

NHRA is Disqualifying everyone they can.

Have not heard much from the "W".

If you feel safer when the sanctioning bodies give you directives, then ya ought to feel plenty safe.

Profit margin is pretty thin at most tracks I would imagine, and thus there's not much money available for track safety improvements. Every racer is responsible for evaluating the safety of their own equipment, their own skill level, and the safety of the facility, and then deciding to race or not race. I'm good with that.

After working in collision repair for years I can almost garrantee its more dangerous to get to the track than racing

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Originally posted by vetman:
After working in collision repair for years I can almost garrantee its more dangerous to get to the track than racing

Fact

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Originally posted by vetman:
After working in collision repair for years I can almost garrantee its more dangerous to get to the track than racing

I have always said that. People pull out in front of you and cut you off and they do not realize that you can not stop on a dime or change lanes easily.

I had two very close calls with the motorhome. One around St. Louis a person cut in front of me and immediately checked up. Locked up the fronts on that one. Another one an accident happened over in the left and one car bounced partly into my lane. Close

Looks like WDRA might

quote:

Originally posted by Eman:
Looks like WDRA might

Wanna bet if it hadn't been highly publicized, nobody would have said nothing about nothing? Take care. Tom Worthington

JJ Da Retard just cost that track their insurance and sanctioning. How selfish. Some fault lies with the track though, I don't know how they didn't have one person on staff near the starting line to say no and be the voice of reason.

This all a show on both sides of this story.
JJ gets an incredible amount of coverage as does the track. WDRA pulls a move that is basically BS possibly because their track changed sanctions but it gets them coverage and they look like they care.