7/3/08
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PLENTY OF QUESTIONS STILL TO ANSWER
There is a lot of anger focused on E-Town and NHRA right now. Most of the points I am reading are valid. It is time to change and perhaps the eighth-mile track is a great solution. It is human nature to be outraged when we lose someone like Scott.
But there are some questions that have not been addressed or answered. There is no way to put this gently, but did anyone else review the video of the crash in slo-mo? I watched this replay in stop frame-by-frame and it is very clear that Scott may have been ejected upon impact. It also appeared that just before impact, Scott may have unhooked his harness in an attempt to bail out. The video shows Scott being thrown up and over the top of the camera boom and down the other side (left lane side). He never made contact with the boom. Something that was trailing him, maybe a chute line, got tangled in the boom, which caused the boom to bend down sharply. This may be what prompted speculation that a camera man was injured. I didn't see anyone in the bucket prior to the crash.
I know this is ugly, but you have to wonder. If this really did happen, would Scott have survived if he stayed in his harness? There is a lot more to this than we know. The NJ State Police report must remain public record. I, too, am very interested in the findings.
I have raced and spectated at E-Town since 1966. I worked there for Richard and Vinny Napp. I know that they always ran a first-class operation. Now, their sons are in charge. And the track has always been a trophy and testament to our sport. I would encourage all to remember that this facility helped NHRA Drag Racing attain the notoriety and status as premier motor sport.
My deepest condolences to Scott's wife and children and to Connie. You give too much to this sport for it to take so much away from you.
Godspeed, Scott.
Bob Bordelon
Florida
SLOW THEM DOWN SOONER
For one, I think it’s entirely possible the body blowing off of Scott's car might have disrupted the airflow to the chutes just enough for them to flail briefly and subsequently get tangled up and not blossom. I really like the previously mentioned idea of electronically activated parachutes, but let’s take it one step further. Assuming once the vehicle trips the 'parachute beam' the appropriate process would take a tenth of a second to activate, and knowing that at 300+ miles an hour the cars are traveling approximately 300 feet before the chutes blossom, lets start the process way before the finish line. Let’s say the 1,000-foot mark for instance. With most of the big explosions coming near or after the finish line, having the chutes anywhere near closer to blossoming, than not being deployed at all, could only help.
I for one, want to preserve quarter-mile drag racing. Even if it means slowing the cars down to 250 miles an hour. I'm sure people get tired of reading comparisons to NASCAR, but still to this day Bill Elliot holds the record for the fastest qualifying speed of 212 mph. This came in 1987. Does anyone care to guess how fast they would be going 20 years later if the sanctioning body had not slowed them down?
Andy Burnett
Moline, Illinois