Engine Failure Causes Kalitta Crash, so says NJ State Police

The New Jersey State Police released their findings from the investigation into Scott Kalitta's fatal qualifying crash at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, in Englishtown, NJ back in June. The engine suffered a catastrophic failure (speed at the 1/4 mile was 300.73 miles per hour), which in turn blew the body off his Funny Car at speed. That failure caused the parachutes not to deploy fully, Kalitta jammed on the manual brakes, and the car hit a boom on a television truck at the top end at what was approximated at 125 miles per hour. New Jersey's State Police investigates all fatal accidents at auto racing facilities as part of their regulation of the sport. The report also says Kalitta had .02 BAC in his blood when the autopsy was performed. That contravenes NHRA and New Jersey auto racing regulations. For the record, New Jersey's legal limit for alcohol intoxication is .08 BAC. Did the .02 BAC contribute to the crash? The State Police report lists that as a noteworthy/contributory item, but not as the major cause of the crash. I'll suspect Graham Light will read the riot act at the next driver's meeting.

The timing of this report is especially noteworthy, since the NHRA is racing this weekend at the Texas Motorplex at Ennis, Texas, where John Force suffered major injuries last September. That he is even racing, let alone in the Funny Car Countdown to One, speaks volumes about his determination. I think Mr. Force has some unfinished business in the Lone Star State this weekend.

Mystery solved...Who's #1 at the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals for Eliminations





The question we posed yesterday about a pushrod engine turning 10,300 rpm has been answered by one of Pro Stock's best--Jason Line, who qualified 2nd behind Kenny Koretsky. It's Kenny's first career #1 starting position. Jason told me that the engines make nearly 1,400 horsepower on two four barrel carburetors and racing gasoline. That's 1,400--or 175 horsepower per cylinder. Line should know...he fairly lives in the dyno room. Greg Anderson is not a slouch in that department either...Anderson helps build those monsters, and drives both of the Keith Black Summit Racing Pontiac GXPs in testing. The bump (the time that a driver had to beat to make final eliminations) was an ET (elapsed time) of 6.775 by Matt Hartford.





In Top Fuel, Tony Schumacher's time from yesterday (4.510) held up...and the US Army driver takes his first #1 qualifier of 2008. Doug Kalitta qualified 2nd. The bump was an ET of 5.017 by Steve Chrisman.



Funny Car Qualifying was the most interesting of the final qualifying runs. Like last year, John Force did not make it through Funny Car qualifying here at "The Strip", so his quest for 1,000 final round wins will have to wait until Atlanta. "We'll take our whipping and race (his three other cars) tomorrow" said the 14 time champion. In Houston, Robert Hight did not qualify for eliminations. Today, the John Force Racing driver ran the best run of qualifying on his last pass to become the number one qualifier, knocking Tim Wilkerson back to number 2. Hight was timed at 4.849. Last time he was here in October, he was also the top qualifier, but the racing gremlins that prowl the pits bit him...and he ended up losing the Funny Car title to Tony Pedregon by less than one round of points. The bump was an ET of 4.997 by "Fast Jack" Beckman. For the record, John Force ran a 5.020. This is what differentiates NHRA Pro Drag Racing--because there are no provisionals given to any driver--the true definition of "go or go home".

We'll rejoin you from "The Strip" on Sunday.

Day Two--SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals Qualifying

The snapshot above is a picture of the new design for the Chevy Impala of defending NHRA Powerade Funny Car Champion Tony Pedregon. The Palms is an establishment located a few miles south of here, where I'm told there are games of chance and accommodations which are sumptuous.

Some stories: Houston Pro Stock winner Greg Anderson did not make the 12 provisional qualifiers Friday. Anderson, driving a Pontiac sponsored by the event sponsor, has two chances to make final eliminations. If the car does not go fast enough, it goes home, sponsor and point standings notwithstanding. Update: Anderson is 9th after the third round of qualifying, and looks to be safely in final eliminations.

John Force has won 996 rounds of eliminations in his storied NHRA career. To win 1,000 this weekend, he would have to advance to the final round of eliminations and win. This is not a question of if, but when.

The weather will be hot on Sunday afternoon...so the two rounds today will go a long way to help the crew chiefs get their tune-up right.

Every one of the drivers I talk with is jacked up about the first annual Carolina Nationals, to be held at Lowe's Motor Speedway on September 11-14, 2008. The construction is proceeding almost as rapidly as the nitro cars in ideal conditions (like last night, when Tony Schumacher ran the 4.51..which will likely stand through this hot afternoon session).

We'll post the fastest of the pro categories...and tell you who went home after the second round of pro qualifying.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Random Comments--Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch jumped ugly with each other Friday night after an on track incident during practice for the Bud Shootout at Daytona International Speedway...both were called to the NASCAR trailer...from what we have been able to surmise...the demonstrations and jaw-jacking and "emotion" gave way to what some wags called "prepared, non-controversial" statements.

You may have seen reports in the Indianapolis Star, and on Speed TV's newly redesigned website, that Indy Racing League founder Anton H. "Tony" George and IRL co-presidents Brian Barnhart and Terry Angstadt, are on a trip to Japan. We confirmed that with IRL Media Relations. What we and others cannot confirm, is the subject of the conversations. We suspect the topic is a possible rescheduling of the Motegi Race, which comes up against the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 18-20. The rescheduling will make it easier for the IRL to assume a few of the Champ Car World Series's events, if it happens, and then the open wheel world would be reunited. Is that too late for 2008? We hear that all of the Champ Car teams would get the same deal to run the entire series that IRL teams get, and some accommodations on chassis and engines.

This may be Champ Car's Mitt Romney moment--the one when you realize that you really did spend too much of your own money, and that spending anymore in the future won't get you what you want, and will only serve to deplete your bank account.

Notice we said "MAY". You will remember past attempts at a reunification of both series, and the falling apart of those attempts. This seems to have a few more legs...but anything can happen. It may be too late for 2008.....but an orderly transition would probably give everyone time to figure out a real strategy for working on the strengths of a combined series so it can consume its fair share of racing oxygen.

John Force hadn't qualified for the Winternationals when last we looked. The fact that he is even running the NHRA Powerade Series Opener is remarkable. When we spoke to fellow Funny Car driver Ron Capps in Charlotte, we could tell by the tone of Capps' voice that he was spooked when he talked about Force's wreck in Dallas. Ford Racing and Force have collaborated on some expensive but effective changes to how the Funny Cars are constructed; the teams are ramping up for the summer, when the changes will become mandatory.

We'll have more as we find out real news during Speedweeks...not sponsor fluff.

More on Eric Medlen Condolences

Thanks to Dave Densmore, who usually has one of drag racing's dream jobs--media relations for John Force Racing. Since March 19th, it has been rough because of the Eric Medlen accident.

"BP/Castrol, which established a special e-mail address for get well messages while Eric Medlen was fighting for his life, has set up a new address at which fans and friends can offer condolences to the family of the professional race car driver, who succumbed to his injuries last Friday. Fans can leave their messages at _goodbyeeric@castrol.com_ . Those messages will be assembled, printed and placed in a scrapbook that will be presented to the family."

Houston will be rough this weekend. The Racers for Christ crew will be working overtime, and could use a prayer of their own on Palm Sunday.

Paul Kaminski

3/27/2007

Update--John Force Racing won't be racing at Houston this weekend. The team is studying their setups and the data from Medlen's accident. They hope to be back in Las Vegas on April 13-15.

Eric Medlen, NHRA Funny Car Driver, Dies From Injuries After a Testing Accident in Gainesville, FL

Sad news for the straight-line warriors of the NHRA...the details courtesy of John Force Racing:

"The talented Funny Car driver never regained consciousness. After being treated at the track, Eric was transported by ShandsCair helicopter to Shands at the University of Florida medical center where medical staff treated him for four days for a severe closed head injury. “Eric suffered from severe traumatic brain injury with diffuse axonal injury, or DAI,” said Dr. Joseph Layon, Professor of Anesthesiology, Surgery and Medicine and the Chief of Critical Care Medicine at UF. “Survival rates associated with DAI are low. “On Tuesday, UF and Shands neurosurgery team performed a cranjectomy and removed the front portion of the skull to relieve pressure and attempt to improve blood flow to the brain,” Dr. Layon explained. “Despite receiving the most aggressive treatment, Eric continued to have uncontrollable intracranial pressure. His body lost the ability to manage its salt and water levels and he began displaying the complicating factors associated with DAI. “That is when Eric’s family elected to honor Eric’s wishes and remove him from the artificial life support systems. Our hearts go out to Eric’s loved ones.”"

Eric drove for John Force Racing's 4 Funny Car team. His crew chief was his dad, and drag race veteran, John Medlen. We'll link to a site or two where you can express sympathies in a comment.

Paul Kaminski
3/23/2007