NHRA Shortens Racing Distance to 1,000ft

As the investigation continues into the tragic accident that took the life of driver Scott Kalitta, NHRA announced today that beginning at the Mopar Mile High Nationals in Denver, Colorado, both the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes will race to 1,000 feet instead of the traditional 1,320 feet or one-quarter mile.

This is an interim step that is being taken while NHRA continues to analyze and determine whether changes should be made to build upon the sport's long standing safety record, given the inherent risks and ever-present dangers associated with the sport.This interim change was made by NHRA in collaboration with professional race teams. NHRA believes that racing the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes to 1,000 feet will allow NHRA and the racing community time to evaluate, analyze and implement potential changes based on the safety initiatives outlined last week.

With the change, fans will still be able to enjoy the sights, sounds and thrill of NHRA nitro racing with speeds around 300 mph and quick elapsed times to 1,000 feet.
Over the years, NHRA has implemented many initiatives to enhance safety including measures to limit speeds from increasing, personal protective gear, vehicle improvements, and track enhancements such as sand traps, catch nets and concrete barriers the entire length of the drag strip.

In the wake of the tragic series of events that took Kalitta's life, the following technical issues are currently under investigation:

• what might be done to reduce engine failures
• parachute mounting techniques and materials as well as identifying a parachute material that could be more fire resistant
• exploring whether there is a way to increase brake efficiency when cars lose downforce due to the loss of the body
• analyzing additional methods that might be developed at the top end of the race track to help arrest runaway vehicles
• considering whether current speeds should be further limited or reduced to potentially improve safety.

"The board members of the Professional Racers Owners Organization (PRO) wholeheartedly and unanimously support this decision," said its president Kenny Bernstein. "We want to thank NHRA for listening to our input and suggestions to incorporate these changes. It is not lost on any of us that this constitutes a change in our history of running a quarter-mile, but it's the most immediate adjustment we can make in the interest of safety which is foremost on everyone's mind. This may be a temporary change and we recognize it is not the total answer. We will continue to work hand in hand with NHRA to evaluate other methods of making Top Fuel and Funny Car competition safer so that we might return to our quarter-mile racing standard. We also want to thank Connie Kalitta for his invaluable input. He has been a rock through these difficult times."

 

 

it all depends on how you look at it. whats another 320 feet it may seem like alot but that gives the drivers another 100 yard to get it shut down if something goes wrong

 

they could just extend the track 320 feet for more shut down space, what about the records that are meant to be broken, not gonna happen anymore

 

They would have to extend it a lot more than 320ft to make up the difference. Remember they are accelerating through the finish, so at 1000ft, a Top Fuel Funnycar might be only doing 295MPH, not 325MPH like with the traditional 1/4 mile.

I know it was a tragic loss, I'd met Scott a couple times at IHRA events when I helped out at G-Force Racing, he was a good man with a big heart, he'd give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. But Scott always knew the dangers, just like everyone else in the sport, and I don't think this is what he would have wanted. Can you imagine what this would have turned into had it been John Force, or one of his daughters who was killed?

 

everyone that gets into that sport knows the danger. what is that going to do to the time it takes to pull the chutes so know instead of driving they will trying to do more things in a shorter time

 

That split second won't make a difference to how busy you are, trust me I've run IHRA Pro Mods before (just for trials, never as the actual driver). Your so focused you don't notice time clicking by, its just bang bang bang bang, and its over. You hit your marks everytime, all by sight and timing. The difference in times will be less than a quarter of a second, thats not enough time to make a difference in deploying chutes or anything else for that matter.

 

The last race I watched I thought the times were real fast, Then I heard they shortened the track to 1000 ft. WTF? Ruined the sport IMO.

 

How did it ruin the sport? Everybody still has to run the same track, and they still have to have an amazing reaction time to be competitive, this will just throw a wrench in the races for a few weeks, with more focus on acceleration at the bottom end. You'll see 60ft and 330ft times drop guaranteed.

 

... Anything worth killin' is worth over killin'