Big crash at Rocky Mountain Race Week day one

[AlanCasida]

A guy hit the wall pretty hard at Great Bend yesterday( I wasn't there). Fortunately he was ok. This was a very poignant reminder of why I need to get a roll bar in my Galaxie if I am going to continue taking it to the track. That could have easily involved both cars.
Here is a video of Day one. The incident is at about the 16:40 mark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYZkVR7vYR4

[TomP]

Yes if that Mustang was faster he could have been alongside and got plowed into pretty hard. Looks like the wagon guy was awfully slow to lift off the throttle. Surprising how well the rest of the car held up other than the front end. Looks fixable.

[jayb]

You see that on almost every crash that is not breakage related, the driver should have lifted when he started to lose traction and he didn't.  Especially on an event like Drag Week or RMRW, where you can make as many runs as you want, and only hand in the fastest time slip, there really isn't any reason to push the envelope. 

[mbrunson427]

There's a maroon '66 Fairlane running this year that's pretty cool. Its a 427W with twin turbos. I've seen it at Bandimere, real nice car.

[BattlestarGalactic]

Ya, unfortunate for sure.   Buddy sent a link from FB, he knows I run a wagon.  Apparent he didn't lift soon enough and then over corrected.

That is something that can be tragic with turbo cars.  Power comes on and stupid things happen if you don't have it hooked up or aimed straight.

[machoneman]

Agree that not lifting on a crippled run (traction, out of the groove, engine/tranny issues, etc.) is the single most cause of crashes. Interesting too that the YouTube vids to the right of this subject vid highlight a number of drag racing crashes where not lifting is the biggest cause. Odd too that it appears even serious, experienced big moneyed racers sometimes try to save a run when lifting would have avoided a very expensive rebuild!

[AlanCasida]

It's scary every time I line up with one of those high-hp, small tire cars let me tell you.

[Nightmist66]

There's a maroon '66 Fairlane running this year that's pretty cool. Its a 427W with twin turbos. I've seen it at Bandimere, real nice car.

I saw this video a while ago. Pretty cool car.

https://youtu.be/i6XEtVZ4VIE

[cjshaker]

Like Larry said, seems to be a big problem with turbo cars as the power comes on, and the modern attitude of "never lift" doesn't help much. Not bashing this guy, but lots of people watch too many 1320 videos and want to be the Billy Bada$$ that is pedaling half way down the track.

Alan, I usually try to wait until the fast car goes first, but it seems like they always want to wait until I take off. I always fear getting slammed in the rear by a car doing 150+. That's why I've wanted to use a car other than my Mach 1, but at this point, starting over on another car is just out of the question, money wise.

[TomP]

I've never driven one but wonder if maybe when you lift, the turbos and intake tract still have so much stored boost the power doesn't diminish right away? Then perhaps the answer is to run a stick and push in the clutch.

[BattlestarGalactic]

Most turbo guys can't get a clutch tuned in.  With the instant boost of power you have a hard time getting clutch management set just right.  Too much, too little, etc.  A glide and let it shift once and be done.

I'm guessing the power application is such a quick ramp up, the loss of traction happens and then the rest of the power comes on and it gets stupid really fast.  If you can't catch it soon enough........it's too late.

[cjshaker]

I'm guessing the power application is such a quick ramp up, the loss of traction happens and then the rest of the power comes on and it gets stupid really fast.  If you can't catch it soon enough........it's too late.

Pretty sure that's the real issue. Stick cars have traction issues as soon as the pedal is dumped, while turbos are coming on hard once they get out a hundred plus feet. By that time the speed is already enough that bad things happen really quick. Now, boost is controllable through the computer, so it's a matter of finding that fine line between adding as much power as the chassis can hold, and not busting the tires loose. But with the insane levels of power that turbos can make these days, it's a fine line, and guys often cross that line. All it takes is a few degrees difference in track or air temps, and if it's not compensated for by an on-your-toes tuner or driver, you're gonna be in trouble.

Again, not trying to be hard on the guy in the video, I feel bad for him. He may have just hit a few drops of water from the exhaust of the car in front of him. When you're on that fine line, that's about all it'd take to break traction and upset the chassis.

[BattlestarGalactic]

I rewatched that video a few times.  The car pulled to the right, out of the groove, just off the launch.  It looked like he lifted, kinda tried to straighten it and then got back into it.  Only problem was he was in the gravel....way out of the groove.   It lost traction on the left tire and turned left instantly.  Poor decision on his part.   Rack that up to another "should not have tried to complete the pass" scenario.

[scott foxwell]

I've never driven one but wonder if maybe when you lift, the turbos and intake tract still have so much stored boost the power doesn't diminish right away? Then perhaps the answer is to run a stick and push in the clutch.

A properly set up turbo or centrifugal supercharger will have a BOV (or a couple)...which is a blow off valve. It's in the charge pipe so that when the throttle is chopped all that stored up boost has some where to go and gets dumped.

[Falcon67]

Bad, not the worst I've seen - unfortunately.  It does look like he got off to the right and if he did get back in, that is what turned it left.  That car looks like it weighs a lot and with that power, it'd be real hard to stop.  Don't discount the possibility that the intake pressure held the throttle open long enough to cause the issue.  Seen that also.  Even killing the ignition, there is still a lot of mass in motion.

[machoneman]

Yeah, lots of reasons why one should have shut off.....but didn't. Scary as even the turbo on my 2018 S5 Audi, when it kicks in at WOT, has a pull like a big-block. But, it's at that exact point it kicks that traction is likely on the edge. With V-8 large CID twin turbo drag cars, I'm sure it s very easy to lose control on a slick track and oversteer....badly.

One trick from the NASCAR roundy-round racers could have saved some rides. A narrow strip of white tape wrapped around the top of the steering wheel allows one to see just how out of shape the front wheels are during a wheelie or as the driver attempts a recovery. Worth a try......
 

[Heo]

Talking about Big Crash....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8oGcJs4hS8

[FElony]

Talking about Big Crash....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8oGcJs4hS8

Bloodthirsty Finns, cheering and clapping while the drivers' spines and bank accounts both get pounded. Sick people; gotta love 'em!

[Heo]

Then i bet you like this story FElony
I got a friend/neighbour from Austria that is a Doctor.
Sometime he works on an emergency  at the
Finnish border ,so the Finns come to that emergency
because its a long way to a Finnish hospital
He asked me, whats up with those Finns? Some real hard
assed guys..
Two guys in their 60s came in one bleeding heavily from
his head, had an old shirt twisted around his head,both very
drunk but very polite Good afternoon Sir Doctor i had my ear
cut of with a knife could you put it back?
What?? Who cut you with a knife?  He did, he said pointing at the
other guy..
What..well...if you cut him why are you here with him....
Well Sir Doctor he is my friend and i had to drive him here
Why the hell did you cut your friend?
Well Sir Doctor we was drunk and settled an argument Sir
What??? Oh my god...Where is the ear then still attached or??
No Sir I have it in my pocket said the first guy and handed it over
it was full with tobacco flakes and sand and pocket lint
Do you want us to report it to the police??
No Sir no his my best friend you don't report a friend to the police Sir

Talking about Big Crash....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8oGcJs4hS8

Bloodthirsty Finns, cheering and clapping while the drivers' spines and bank accounts both get pounded. Sick people; gotta love 'em!

[Nightmist66]

Nice vid with some good coverage on the stick shifted '66 Fairlane:

https://youtu.be/qPbEs40YTEo