A bit of clarification for A/F racers regarding the new Leahy box

Discussion in 'Pit Buzz' started by Will Hanna, Jan 28, 2010.

  1. Will Hanna

    Will Hanna We put the 'inside' in Top Alcohol
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    I've been talking to some NHRA officials over the past few weeks, and one of the topics was why they made the A/Fuel cars put the Leahy box on their car, when there was not a real equivalent of the burst panel trigger on blown cars.

    The response I got from both Graham Light and Glen Gray was that in the very near future, the finish line shut off system that will be used by the Pros this year will be mandatory for the alcohol classes. This box will facilitate that. For those of you not familiar with this system, NHRA has been experimenting with a radio transmitter 200 ft past the finish line, which will trigger the Leahy device to shut the car down and deploy the chutes.

    It appears that this transmitter could eventually be used on most cars. In light of the bracket racer that ran off the end of the track in West Palm this past weekend and got killed, it might not be a bad idea.

    Whether you like it or not, with that explanation, it does make a little more sense than just being a shut off device that more than likely will never see enough pan pressure to trigger it.
     
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  2. underby6

    underby6 Active Member

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    So do the A/Fuel cars have to install the current box/solenoids/pan switch?

    Brandon Booher
    NHRA TAD #44
     
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  3. nitrohawk

    nitrohawk New Member

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    Liability

    I wonder if for some reason the NHRA mandated shutoff system fails to work properly and there is an accident if the liability is extended to the manufacturer? It might be something the manufacturer might consider since his is the only product mandated. Just curious.
    I think the single shutoff is a good thing but I am concerned that a driver will get used to relying on it and if for some reason it fails and the time that it takes to realize it did not work might allow a car traveling at about 450 feet a second to run out of stopping room in a hurry. I would suggest that anyone driving a really fast car hit the panic switch but go through your normal shutdown routine just in case.
     
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  4. JustinatAce

    JustinatAce Member

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    The Pros have all been saying they still do everything by hand. The box is only intended to be a safety net.
     
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  5. Randy G.

    Randy G. Top Alcohol

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    With the transmitter coming in to play I guess we'll need an override button in case you abort the run. Nothing like having the chutes out at 35 miles per hour.:rolleyes:

    I can't wait to see the look on Clint Thompson's face when some 12 year old hacks the system from his laptop in the grandstands and pops the chutes on his car at 1/2 track.
     
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  6. REEHL EQUIPMENT

    REEHL EQUIPMENT Authorized Merchant

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    Time to take the drivers out, and just use remote control.
     
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  7. nitrohawk

    nitrohawk New Member

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    Thats a good one Robert! Thats what most tuners would do if given the chance.
     
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  8. Barry Ferriolo

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    there was a time when i was opposed to all the mandated safety equipment - then one day i realized the importance of it all. there's a story about a racer who asked a Zen Master "should i buy a seventy dollar helmet or a seven hundred dollar helmet". the Zen Master replied "do you have a seventy dollar head"?
     
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  9. Night Moves

    Night Moves New Member

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    Leahy Device

    The Leahy device is good for drag racing.

    It would be even better if it would activate if there was an impact....ie driver is out cold and car is under power.

    JMHO

    Mike L.
     
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  10. Randy G.

    Randy G. Top Alcohol

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    With the transmitter it will when you cross the finish line.
     
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  11. Bob Meyer

    Bob Meyer Comp Eliminator

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    Anybody else remember Jack Ostrander at Pomona being knocked out from tire shake, I do.
     
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  12. Will Hanna

    Will Hanna We put the 'inside' in Top Alcohol
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    relying on the box

    If you're a driver and you're dumb enough to rely on a box to throw your chutes, you shouldn't be driving.

    I think it's a great device that will save lives. There's a long list of drivers who have given their lifes to this sport. I applaud NHRA for taking steps to make the sport safer.
     
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  13. nitrohawk

    nitrohawk New Member

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    nhra should issue or Lehey should issue instructions on how to use the box.
    All you get is instalation instructions. I am all for the box but do think NHRA needs to inform all drivers and crewchiefs on the proper way to drive with this new shutoff box. Me thinks they think it is just suppose to work every time a driver makes a swipe at the switch. One car I have seen has a mniture momentary switch mounted up on the dash.
    Maybe the best case is to open the chutes, grab the brake, then when you know you are going to stop turn the fuel off and then hit the switch for the box although I don,t think that was the purpose behind the new rule.
    If you have an air line rupture, or switch malfunction I think you will have a problem. However if you forget to turn the air bottle on I don,t think the car will start.
     
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  14. Flyingpig

    Flyingpig Member

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    The government mandates seat belts, shoulder harnesses, abs, air bags, traction controls. With all this I still see people upside down in the middle of a 25mph street. All the safety equipment in the world wont make a driver safer. I think it has the opposite effect.
     
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  15. Will Hanna

    Will Hanna We put the 'inside' in Top Alcohol
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    strap 'em in

    Pig-

    If you were strapping your wife, your kid, one of your best friends, etc., in a car capable of going fast enough to kill them or someone else, would you want it to be the safest it can be?

    One funeral was enough for me. The second really drove the point home. Some of you may think I over-react on these safety issues, but after you have seen your close friends lose their lives, it's a sore spot. You want to honor their legacy by learning lessons from their loss and try to make the sport safer.

    How does this make the car more unsafe? People say this is taking the driver out of the equation, well, the driver should throw the chutes as they normally would without the box or a radio shut off. Whether they hit the Leahy button themselves or hit the levers, it's a matter of preference.

    If a driver makes the CHOICE to rely on the auto shutoff, and it fails them, that is DRIVER ERROR, not the failure of an automated system.

    Stating this box makes the car more unsafe is grossly inaccurate in my opinion.

    I've never been admitted to the hospital for a racing related injury, but I did have a hernia surgery that required an overnight stay, and IT SUCKED. I think anyone else that has been will agree. Not to mention they can be WAAAY more expensive than whatever safety upgrade you may be bitching about. Keep that in mind.
     
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    Last edited: Jan 31, 2010
  16. Bill Naves

    Bill Naves Member

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    Priceless

    If I had known this safety box would be so unbelievably cheap, I would have had it before the rule mandate. Think about it. For the price of a blower belt and a sleeve of uppers, we just gained about 1.5 seconds of available reaction time in an emergency. in the 1.5 or so seconds it takes to realize the severity of a situation, the shut off, fuel off, and chutes are out. That will allow us to focus on stopping and getting the hell out instead of WTF!!
    In my 20 plus years in a funny car, I've experienced more than I would like to have. I've had my bell rung and luckily shook it off in time to save everything more than once. Many have not been so lucky.It won't save everyone from every possibility, but I know there is more than 1 guy out there who wishes it had been available when their luck ran out.
    This is just an old man's opinion, but my hat's off to Dave for designing it and making it affordable. .even to me!
     
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  17. clarky

    clarky New Member

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    We have a safety box on our Alky funny car in Australia, we broke number 2 rod on the weekend at 1000ft and the car just stopped,shutes out,fuel of mag killed i also believe it reduced the amount of carnage inside the pan. killed a motor last year about the same place on the track and we ended up with the car on its roof in the sand trap, and on fire with Matt trying to pull the car up in his own oil mess 200ft futhur down the breaking area. I personally reckon this device should be manditory. Dont have an opinion on the radio controlled deal.

    Clarky

    K Trans Racing
    Western Australia
     
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  18. john348

    john348 Top Alcohol

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    I have to go with Will on this one, when i got this box last year i thought great another pos to add to the car. after i hooked it all up and made it work, my first thought was wow... this really works fast and worked every time i made a situation for it to go off, I still think it is another thing on the car that adds weight, but given the choice i think i like it riding along with me.
    I have had in the last 30 years a few bad deals, you dont always have the time to do the normal shut down procedure, ask yourself this
    have you ever not tripped the chute levers the first time and had to go reach up and do it again, just that alone will mess you up
    I am sure i will cuss it the first time one of the connectors fails or something else goes wrong but i still think i like the SB 001 riding along with this ole fat guy

    I also believe that this is for if something goes wrong don't use it to shut the car down, do your normal thing and if something goes wrong pray it backs you up in case you can't
     
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    Last edited: Feb 2, 2010
  19. Sean Bellemeur

    Sean Bellemeur Jr. Dragster

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    Hey Robert,

    If you take the drivers out then there will be NO pro cars. The drivers supply the money!!... for the most part :)

    SB
     
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