Helmet Shroud

NHRA will now accept a 4130 .090 shield instead of the titanium for alcohol dragsters.

 

scroll down exactly half way HERE
Oh and the Wing Thing
clarification is there too.

 

Before I voice my concern with the new driver protection cage shields, let me start by saying that I am for improved safety, and I think these shields are a good idea.
The problem I see with the chrome moly shield is that it will take a blown alcohol car even further out of the game. Every competitive blown alcohol car that I'm aware of is already overweight. These screw blowers and transmissions are heavy. If you fork over another $2500.00 for the .080" titanium shield (plus the cost to haul the car somewhere and get it fit and installed) you will only put another 5 or 6 pounds on your already overweight car. If you are already spending you entire budget, plus some (like most of us are), you might need to opt for the less expensive .090" chrome moly shield. That will add around 15 to 16 pounds to your ride. Weight slows down a blown alky car quickly. We are already buying every titanium, magnesium, kevlar, and carbon fiber piece we can afford, so here lies the problem.
While sharing the cost issue, this should not be as much of a problem for the A-Fuel cars, since they all have weight bars strapped on them to make minimum weight. They can opt for the cheaper chrome moly shield, take some ballast off, and stay right at minimum.
This should about offset the 1% of nitro they lost. Oh well !

My suggested fix would be to raise the minimum weight of ALL cars in the TA/D class at least by the weight of the last couple of added safety devices. That way, we don't over lighten something else (causing a new safety hazard), to try and compensate for the added weight of the new requirements. If my minimum were increased from 2025 lbs., to 2050 lbs., I would still struggle to get close to that, but not so much that we would keep shaving things down on the mill trying to lose a few more pounds. This year we got so desperate the crew wouldn't let me eat (I dropped from 190 lbs. to 160 lbs.). They said not only did we save money and labor trying to lighten the car, but the food bill wnet down too. They're a great bunch of caring guys.

Anyway, it's all good. Hope all you fine folks are enjoying your holidays.
God bless,
Marty

 

Thats a great idea Marty. Could we change the minimum of the car to 2100 lbs. or make all the drivers weigh at least 200 lbs.? And that way I might stand a chance to make weight. jk
Seriously though, I do think the minimum weight is too light for a sportsman class. At 6'3"/240+, it makes it very difficult to make weight.
Izzy

 

Izzy,
I know many cars are heavier than mine. A small change would help to make the class less expensive for many teams who are already struggling to afford to stay in the hunt. Plus again, it might keep someone from lightening a piece too much, causing an accident.

Happy holidays,
Marty

 

Marty, I couldn't agree with you more. I've often thought about taking the wheelie bar off just to get down to weight and then I see somebody do a big wheel stand and think better of it.

Happy Holidays!

P.S. I haven't eaten a cheeseburger in 3 weeks!

 

Wonder why we cant use .125 6061 like we use on the deflector plate we all have now.

Mark Albert

 

Okay Jeffey!!! what about the SUDS???? LOL I do have a tread mill here if you need it... or how about ISAGENIX??? I know a good supplier

 

How does staying at the minimum weight offset the 1% Nitro we lost? Must be that new math!

Thanks NHRA for doing the right thing!

 

Randy, It's plain physics.

For example, if we all have to weigh a minimum 2025 pounds, and;

With your weight bars you weighed 2030 lbs. last year. You add the 16 lb. chrome moly shield, and take 16 lbs. of ballast out of your AF/D, so the car weighs the same 2030 lbs. it did. You're maybe slow down around. .03 seconds, due to the 1% nitro cut (until you further refine your tune-up, and go even faster). Although last year many AF/D's went quicker on 98% than they did on the drum.

With my car already lightened as much as I can (and me lighter than I weighed in high school), my car weighed around 2045 last year. I add the 16 lb. chrome moly shield, and I have no ballist to remove, my car is gonna weigh around 2060 lbs. I'm gonna slow down approx. .02 seconds fairly permantly(since my tune-up is already refined 99%).

In short the added weight will hurt me more than it will hurt you. All the competitive AF/D's I know of have ballist they can remove to compensate, and every competitive BA/D I know of is already struggling to get close to minimum. Thus the BA/D's will end up gaining the entire wweight of the shield and mounts, while the AF/Ds will not gain any weight. There is also the point that blown alky cars are much more sensative to weight than AF/D's. So even if it were an even weight gain, it would still have a larger negative effect on the alky car.

It's not the end of the world, I'm racing either way. Just an ongoing problem with NHRA's thinking, that will keep going on until we finally point the problem out to them. Make us add more equipment to the cars, raise the minimum weight accordingly so know one does anything unsafe to compensate.

Happy Holidays,
Marty

 

Marty, Congrats on your season. I know a way to get that 15lbs. off your hot rod... Take off that computer, It just makes you think too much anyway
right?

Happy Holidays
Don Hudson-FormerTAD
Current TA/FC(and really not missing all the BS)

 

There are other factors to think about too. When the T/F cars put the shrouds on it pushed the drivers head forward from the wind curving around in the shroud. The solution was to make the windshield higher, which created another problem of the air to the injector was altered. Some teams had to raise the injector along with that came a tune up change. Then the raised injector changed the wind going to the wing. How will this affect TA/D?

 

Hi Don,
Thanks for the congrats. Looks like you're getting comfy in your new ride too.
What computer? LOL

Slayer,
All the above.

Happy Holidays,
Marty

 

re: never happy

ok......so this isnt equal? we all have the choice of : 1. chome moly shild for less $ more weight or 2. titanium for more $ for less weight. if weight is the issue, buy the titanium one. its all expensive so if you want to go fast spend the ging. geeze.....its equal for both parties and still people bitch.

 

Re: Sorry If I Offended

everyone. my point was, again........for this SAFETY TOPIC ONLY, we all again have a choice. hairdryer or a/fooler is not the issue. now that we can 1. titanium more $ less weight or 2. moly less $ more weight, nhra has given us a choice. but someone posts a bitch about that choice. what is the ideal situation, excluding the parody, and i MEAN EXCLUDING, for this safaety related issue ONLY. CARBON FIBRE NOW???????? maybe thats an idea for some one to pursue. geez it gets my goat. lets keep it on the subject at hand ONLY. it safety here and we all have to use one or the other. ask joker what he thinks.

 

I have no comment.

 

I personally can't speak for anybody else, but there is no possible way for my car to make weight. Every time NHRA makes a rule change it's just that much more weight I have to add to my car. I think the shroud's are a good idea and mine will be made out of titanium. The point is I think the weight limit's are too low and people will start sacrificing safety to be competitive. This is a sportsmans class and I don't think we should have to spend thousands (more) to try and be/stay competitive.
Jeff
p.s. Kevin I have a hard time believing that you have no comment. jk

 

I realized that this "local racer" needs to be quiet.....LOL

I know how you can drop weight......get a new hogans intake and fuel pump........and come on over to the dark side....KIDDING Just KIDDING!

KB