NHRA driver Scott Kalitta killed

[1969912 0]

"ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. —

Scott Kalitta died Saturday when his Funny Car crashed and burst into flames during the final round of qualifying for the Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2008010619_apcarnhradriverkilled.html

"Once we got to the point where twenty/something's needed a place on the corner that changed the oil in their cars we were doomed . . ."
-NickDG

[RB_Hammer 0]

Sad news indeed. Scott always seemed, from the tv interviews, to be one of the 'good guys' in motor sports.

"I'm not lost. I don't know where I'm going, but there's no sense in being late."
Mathew Quigley

[airdvr 210]

http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&rls=GWYX,GWYX:2006-32,GWYX:en&resnum=0&q=scott%20kalitta&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[SkydiveJack 1]

This sucks. I worked for and ocassionally flew with Scotts cousin Doug Kalitta for almost seven years.

They are all good people.

My heart is sad right now.

[airdvr 210]

To me it looked like that was a short track with very little kitty litter at the end.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[1969912 0]

A bad year. Eric Medlen (TF/FC as well) was killed in March or so.

"Once we got to the point where twenty/something's needed a place on the corner that changed the oil in their cars we were doomed . . ."
-NickDG

[highspeeddirt 0]

Medlen died in march of 2007

[1969912 0]

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Medlen died in march of 2007

Thanks.

After watching that video, the crash didn't seem to me to be survivable. Not sure what he hit. Perhaps there's a barrier wall at the raceway property line.

"Once we got to the point where twenty/something's needed a place on the corner that changed the oil in their cars we were doomed . . ."
-NickDG

[highspeeddirt 0]

englishtown 's shutdown area is fairly long actually. this accident appeared that the car was under power until impact. but given todays topend speeds, it would be in nhra's best interest to legnthen the shutdown areas(soemthing i called for 17 years ago when we were designing dragchutes )
rest in peace Scott

[JohnMitchell 16]

Never saw Scott race in person, but watched his dad Connie more than once. My heart goes out to the family and friends left behind. A sad day.

[JoeyRamone 0]

Dam good guy. I met him a few times when he drove for a friend of mine.

[Slappie 9]

Damn he went up like a BOMB! Hopefully he didn't feel anything.

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."

[JoeyRamone 0]

I doubt it bad crash. GOD SPEED

[rwieder 0]

This is indeed a tragic evenent in the NHRA. But, just like NasCar overcame Neil Bonnet, Davy Pearson, Adam Petty & Dale Sr, so shall the NHRA overcome this huge loss of Scott kalitta.

God bless his family.

Video Here

WARNING: Not for the faint of heart.

1) The car hit the concrete retaining wall at 300 MPH. Did the flames and smoke overcome Scott?
2) The parachutes failed, one deployed, but not completely, the one on the passenger side never did deploy.
3) The NHRA has eluded to the fact that the parachutes were old, and Scott packed his own chutes. They may have a point here, those chutes do get dragged on the pavement a lot after the run. I think the cars should stop, and place the suspension lines, and chutes aroung the spoiler like they used to.

-Richard-
"You're Holding The Rope And I'm Taking The Fall"

[airdvr 210]

Quote

This is indeed a tragic evenent in the NHRA. But, just like NasCar overcame Neil Bonnet, Davy Pearson, Adam Petty & Dale Sr, so shall the NHRA overcome this huge loss of Scott kalitta.

God bless his family.

Video Here

WARNING: Not for the faint of heart.

1) The car hit the concrete retaining wall at 300 MPH. Did the flames and smoke overcome Scott?

I doubt it was 300 but it was certainly over 200.

2) The parachutes failed, one deployed, but not completely, the one on the passenger side never did deploy.

I think they depolyed fine but melted in the intense heat.


3) The NHRA has eluded to the fact that the parachutes were old, and Scott packed his own chutes. They may have a point here, those chutes do get dragged on the pavement a lot after the run. I think the cars should stop, and place the suspension lines, and chutes aroung the spoiler like they used to.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[squirrel 0]

is there any type of "speed reducing barrier" at all before the wall he hit...like a runaway gravel ramp on freeways for truckers?

________________________________
Where is Darwin when you need him?

[airdvr 210]

There's a sand pit at the very end...but its not designed for that speed.

I was thinking more along the lines of an arresting gear/net like on an aircraft carrier. But it's one incident amongst millions of runs down the 1/4 mile.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[squirrel 0]

yeah, i hear ya. but the arresting net is a good idea.

hell, i put a ballistic reserve on my weight shift trike, and never plan to use it. but i was actually on scene when one of those "one in a million" wing calapse took place. he lived though.

________________________________
Where is Darwin when you need him?

[gearless_chris 1]

From what I've read in the past the tracks were designed and built long ago when the speeds weren't that high. I remeber when they used to think breaking into the 4's was impossible until Eddie Hill did it, then they said 300 was impossible.

"If it wasn't easy stupid people couldn't do it", Duane.

My momma said I could be anything I wanted when I grew up, so I became an a$$hole.

[airdvr 210]

How about this...cable stretched across the end of the strip. When you dump the chute a tailhook comes down also. If you end up in that situation the last resort is the cable and tailhook like on a carrier.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[rwieder 0]

There is a retaining net in the "Sand Trap" at the end of the track. Someone said these tracks were not designed for these speeds, that's correct. None of them were, they were built long before speeds were in the 220 MPH range.

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I doubt it was 300 but it was certainly over 200.

They had him on radar at 300+ on impact. I'm thinking he lost consiousness and kept the trhottle pinned down until impact. He had no visual at this point either.

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I think they depolyed fine but melted in the intense heat.

I didn't see this in the video, but could be.


If you watch the video carefully, the left parachute deploys, but is in severe line twists, the right side parachute barely deploys, i guess you could call it a "Bag Lock" in either even, your brakes aren't going to do jack for you at those speeds. John Force made a pass last year, his car was at 325 MPH+ racing Kenny Berstein. Berstein hits one of the cones in the cenetr line of the track sending it into Force's lane and getting caught up in his rear tires shredding them in a million pieces. John deployed both parachutes instinctially, the two parachute along with the forward speed of the funny car literally rips the car in half sending John in his driver's capsule sliding doen the opposing lane with nothing between him and the pavement but what was left of his "cage" There was nothing left to protect him from losing some left fingers, and damage to his left lrgs, major road rash. He recoups, and races to this day mentoring his daughter Ashley. Who by the way can drive as good, or better than any of the guys out there right now, she's even beat the old man and the Pedrogon brothers, and that's a tall order.

It's a damn shame, someone always has to get freaking killed before changes are made. Just like Earnhardt Sr. He gets killed, next thing ya know, we have safer barriers, HANS devices are made mandatory, no longer auxillary. The safer barriers have saved at least 10 lives since they've installed them.

-Richard-
"You're Holding The Rope And I'm Taking The Fall"

[1969912 0]

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is there any type of "speed reducing barrier" at all before the wall he hit...like a runaway gravel ramp on freeways for truckers?

I read that there was an arresting net at that track, and that he hit one of the support/attachment poles for the net.

"Once we got to the point where twenty/something's needed a place on the corner that changed the oil in their cars we were doomed . . ."
-NickDG

[jumpwally 0]

anyone know where the Force video is?

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[twofast 0]

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I read that there was an arresting net at that track, and that he hit one of the support/attachment poles for the net.

correct.

[rwieder 0]

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I read that there was an arresting net at that track, and that he hit one of the support/attachment poles for the net.

It would not have mattered if he would have hit that pole or not at 300 MPH. There is also a 4' concrete wall all along the back of the containment area of the "Trap" The only way he could have possibly have survived would be if his chutes deploy correctly and have the car slow down at least 40% The body of these cars are constructed out of aluminum and Carbon Fibre, the frames are made of titanium and aluminum, but they are incredibly strong. But as you can see everything has it's limits. If i died driving one of my 1/4 mile cars, or SkyDiving, i wouldn't have a problem with it. If you guys are like me, you know that jump out may be the last sane thing you do. Scott knew since he was a kid his sport he loved so much was very dangerous, and had a high potential of taking his life each pass down the track.

-Richard-
"You're Holding The Rope And I'm Taking The Fall"