NHRA Shortens Nitro Cars to 1,000 Feet As Kalitta Investigation Continues

This made our news desk after our "Race-Talk" program was produced. You'll notice the answers to some questions I asked on Sunday, June 22.

NHRA SHORTENS RACE DISTANCE FOR TOP FUEL AND FUNNY CAR CLASSES TO 1,000FEET AS INTERIM SAFETY STEP WHILE KALITTA ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

GLENDORA, Calif. (July 2, 2008) -- As the investigation continues into the tragic accident that took the life of driver Scott Kalitta, NHRA announced today that beginning at the Mopar Mile High Nationals in Denver, Colorado, both the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes will race to1,000 feet instead of the traditional 1,320 feet or one-quarter mile.This is an interim step that is being taken while NHRA continues to analyze and determine whether changes should be made to build upon the sport's long standing safety record, given the inherent risks and ever-present dangers associated with the sport.
This interim change was made by NHRA in collaboration with professional race teams. NHRA believes that racing the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes to 1,000 feet will allow NHRA and the racing community time to evaluate, analyze and implement potential changes based on the safety initiatives outlined last week.
With the change, fans will still be able to enjoy the sights, sounds and thrill of NHRA nitro racing with speeds around 300 mph and quick elapsed times to 1,000 feet.
Over the years, NHRA has implemented many initiatives to enhance safety including measures to limit speeds from increasing, personal protective gear, vehicle improvements, and track enhancements such as sand traps,catch nets and concrete barriers the entire length of the drag strip.
In the wake of the tragic series of events that took Kalitta's life, the following technical issues are currently under investigation: 1) what might be done to reduce engine failures; 2) parachute mounting techniques and materials as well as identifying a parachute material that could be more fire resistant; 3) exploring whether there is a way to increase brake efficiency when cars lose downforce due to the loss of the body; 4) analyzing additional methods that might be developed at the top end of the race track to help arrest runaway vehicles; 5)considering whether current speeds should be further limited or reduced to potentially improve safety.
"The board members of the Professional Racers Owners Organization (PRO) wholeheartedly and unanimously support this decision," said its president Kenny Bernstein. "We want to thank NHRA for listening to our input and suggestions to incorporate these changes. It is not lost on any of us that this constitutes a change in our history of running a quarter-mile, but it's the most immediate adjustment we can make in the interest of safety which is foremost on everyone's mind. This may be temporary change and we recognize it is not the total answer. We will continue to work hand in hand with NHRA to evaluate other methods of making Top Fuel and Funny Car competition safer so that we might return to our quarter-mile racing standard. We also want to thank Connie Kalitta for his invaluable input. He has been a rock through these difficult times."
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That's what the NHRA's saying. Some of the insiders suggest these changes needed to be made a while ago. That's extreme Monday Morning Quarterbacking. However, the sanctioning body acted decisively--and didn't wait 7 months to publish a study or change things to find out what works.

Tough Day...Inspired Racing...NHRA Lucas Oil Supernationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park

An emotional Greg Anderson after his Pro Stock win over Dave Connolly. Greg, like all of the other racers, took the loss of Scott Kalitta very hard...and told the PA announcers that he was on a mission to win. He backed that up with three stout runs...and a pedal fest which he credited to the spirit of Kalitta. The win cuts into Kurt Johnson's lead in the Pro Stock category.

Point leader Tim Wilkerson won the Funny Car final over Mike Neff. In the first run of the category...all of the Kalitta Racing team members on the property lined up on the starting line in eliminations, where Robert Hight would have made a run with Kalitta had events not played out like they did.

In Top Fuel...an ironic story. Connie Kalitta's Kalitta Flying Service has the contract to fly the remains of fallen servicemembers who've died in Iraq and Afghanistan back to their families. Scott was involved in the family business when he wasn't piloting the DHL Toyota Solara Funny Car. Tony Schumacher picked the right day to add points...Schumacher's win...his first at Englishtown. Schumacher's team is sponsored by the US Army.

This will be a short and sad week for all of the straight line folks as they get ready to go to Norwalk, Ohio. They will lay Scott to rest...and remember his zest for life...his competitive nature...and memories that haven't been shared. There will be time for questions to be asked and answered...and thanks to Ford Racing...maybe those answers will come a bit more quickly. Like the CART cars of years past...each of the Funny Cars that runs has a Blue Box data recorder, which measures a bunch of operating parameters, and was instrumental in the investigation into the death of Greg Moore in 1999 at Fontana. No doubt the engineers will have a lot of data from Kalitta's crash. No doubt the Napp family will be taking a harder look at the top end, where the crash occurred to find ways to make it more effective in stopping a car that suffered a catastrophic failure of its braking system. And there should be no doubt and delay in implementing lessons learned from this tragedy.