Scott Kalitta

I dunno about you....but

RIP Scott... I didn't know Scott well enough to call him a friend, but I always thought he was cool, mainly because of Connie a 1st rate human and a legend to those of us lucky enough to be be "pit brats" in the So Cal drag racing scene in the 70's & 80's. Kalitta was ole school hell think he is on the school board at Ole School High. Drag Racing is F'ing dangerous, it always has been. It is part of the attraction of the sport. Riding the edge of the knife, its macho. Or if your a Cha Cha type then its macha either way it be what it be, dangerous. Now all these posts here seem new school and smack of corporate group think, concerned with safety and wishing to be living forever or die in a nursing home wearing a diaper. I'm all for better tracks not because they are safer but because they are faster, I'm all for better cars not because they are safer but because they are faster. Sure safety has its place and I'm not arguing it doesn't have one in drag racing, the spectators need to be protected thats obvious. But in real drag racing its not the primary concern of those doing the racing, least it shouldn't be, hence we spend 95% of our budget on go fast and 5% on go safe. Scott died doing what he loved, and went out like a racer would want to fast and on fire. Changing the rules or as some new schoolers advocate, slowing the cars down doesn't do anything but turn drag racing into a boring expensive hobby for yuppies. We all hit that starter button in full knowledge that this could be the last pass...one-way or another. So lets all just grow a pair and remember how Scott lived and maybe even learn a thing or two from how he died.

 

I agree with above post. The main reason I hate nascar is restrictor plates and no idividuality on chassis or bodies and everyone runs the same speed. Let the drivers that want to run all the nitro, wing, and gear they want to. I bet 90+% of drivers would stay in. I am starting to enjoy watching the outlaw pro mods run better than I enjoy watching NHRA's finest. They have very lenient rules.

 

wow

Wow, I must be missing something.. I think I just choked on my pair..I don't "ride the sharp edge of the knife"..I don't get off on the danger of racing. I believe in safer tracks so I can come back from a wreck and race again.In my 20+ years driving AFC, I've been the victim of steel post and rail guardrail and seen it replaced with jersey barriers. I believe in better shut down areas because I've been in the trees in the shut down at Bristol because fast cars don't go around mountains when they're in trouble.Now its fixed so no one else will have to..Thanks Bruton!. I believe in safer cars because that may allow me to come back from a wreck and race again. I for one am not interested in going out" fast and on fire". I do it for the competition, the comradery,the ingenuity, man over machine. Drag racing is a sport.. it should not be "feeding Christians to the lions". Like everything else , progress is expensive, but it shouldn't cost lives needlessly. To say Scott died "doing what he loved" is tragic. Celebrate the competitor, the driver,the man..not the danger. Alcohol classes are faster than anyone ever imagined. I think most have gone quicker and faster than Jungle Jim and more than a few have surpassed the Snakes performances.These safety issues will undoubtedly affect the next generation of the class. We owe it to them, our sons,daughters, nieces, nephews to make sure safety keeps pace with performance

 

OK I passed on this the all day but cant leave it alone. I race but I have no intention of going out on fire in a blaze of glory. I do accept the risk but want to limit that risk any time I can. At the end of the day I realize that shit happens and sometimes its bad, very bad as in the case of Scott. But nobody who is sane enough to drive a race car, if given the choice of "dying on this record setting pass" or getting out of the car forever and living until you die in you sleep at 96, Is going to go for the record. They are going to choose to be very old spectators. I would like to see this a debate about safety and how to make the race track, and cars safer.