Jalopnik: nhra

Eight Great Mustangs From Racing History

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:30:00 EDT

Like it or loathe it, the NASCAR Ford Mustang is part of a long history of Mustang racing. Here's a look at the most noteworthy examples of Mustang racing below.

Click "Next" to take a trip down Mustang Memory Lane and make sure to drop your favorite racing Mustang in the comments.

Car: 1965 Ford Mustang A/FX
Racing Series: NHRA A/Experimental, Factory Stock
Years:1965 - 1966
Cool Stuff: Commissioned by Ford and built with express intent of drag racing. 11 were built, half with 427 cammers, and sold to drag racers for a princely sum of $1.
Drivers: Dick Brannan, Bill Lawton, Les Ritchey, Clester Andrews, Al Joniec, Paul Norris, Len Richter, Phil Bonner, Gas Ronda
Major Wins: Numerous local track wins.

Car: 1965 Ford Mustang GT350R
Racing Series: SCCA
Years:1965-1967
Drivers: Jerry Titus, Bob Johnson, Mark Donohue
Major Wins: SCCA B-class production in 1965, '66, and '67, manufacturers championship

Car: 1970 Mustang Boss 302
Racing Series: Trans Am
Years: 1970-1973
Drivers: Parnelli Jones, George Follmer
Major Wins: Manufacturers' championship

Car: 1984 Mustang GTO
Racing Series: IMSA GTO
Years: 1984-1986
Drivers: Wally Dallenbach Jr., John Jones, Scott Pruett, Lynn St. James, Doc Bundy
Major Wins: 1985 GTO Drivers' championship, Daytona 24 Hours, Manufacturers' championships in 1985 and '86

Photo credit: Mark Windecker

Car: Trans Am Mustang
Racing Series: Trans Am
Years: 1999
Drivers: Paul Gentilozzi
Major Wins: Trans Am Championship

Car: John Force Mustang
Racing Series: NHRA Top Fuel
Years: 2000-
Drivers: John Force, Ashley Force
Major Wins: Pretty much everything in NHRA

Car: Mustang drift racer
Racing Series: Formula Drift
Years: 2005-
Drivers: Vaugh Gittin Jr.
Major Wins: Manufacturer's title in 2005 & 2008

Car: NASCAR Ford Mustang Car of Tomorrow
Racing Series: NASCAR Nationwide
Years: 2009 -
Drivers: Colin Braun
Major Wins: none yet

Mystery Nightmare Car Plus Bonus NHRA Pace Car Firebird Down On The Spanish Dirt Lot

Murilee Martin — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EDT

This is Down On The Street Bonus Edition, where we see interesting street-parked cars in places other than the Island That Rust Forgot. Dominick was car shopping in Malaga when he found these two.

Pace cars for drag racing? Sure, makes sense… but what doesn't make sense is the abomination that Dominick found accompanying the NHRA Pace Car ~~Firebird~~ Camaro. Can anyone decipher the script above? Here's what Dominick has to say:

hey im a daily reader, new to writing back. correct me if i am wrong , i have found what to me is a late 70s NHRA pace car firebird i found it while browsing thru a local used car dealership in malaga spain also found this other thing got no clue what it is but it looks wicked thanks alot and it figured u guys whould know what to do with these

DOTS FAQ

Eric Rickman, Original NHRA Safety Safari Member, Dies

Ray Wert — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:15:00 EST

Original NHRA Safety Safari member Eric "Rick" Rickman dies. [NHRA]

Dodge Challenger Super Stock Drag Package Available For Order...If You're Man Enough

Mark Arnold — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:40:00 EDT

We're stoked that Chrysler is offering a Dodge Challenger Drag Pak turn-key racer, but how exactly do you go about ordering one from your local Dodge dealer? Since these mighty Mopars are going to be limited production, you gotta prove you're worthy. First, you're required to submit your application in writing to a dealer, who will then fax it to Mopar Motorsports' secret lair. Keep in mind that this is all first-come first-served, so you probably want to get a fax confirmation to make sure your paperwork went through. But what qualifications will buyers have to meet?

It's recommended that potential buyers have "a current Competition License or sanctioning body affiliation prior to ordering their vehicle." So, n00bs need not apply. That's because Mopar wants to put their best foot forward with the Drag Challenger. They've even specified that the "buyer is encouraged to have the Challenger Drag Pak vehicle in competition within a reasonable amount of time." We're assuming that's also to weed out any speculating collector-types, as the profit margin on the vehicles will likely be slim to none. Besides, nobody should ever take a brand new race car and seal it in a bubble in a locked garage. [Mopar via Allpar]

NHRA Approves Roush Mustangs For Straight-Line Competition

Andrew Stoy — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:20:00 EDT

The National Hot Rod Association has granted its approval to the 2008 Roush supercharged 4.6-liter V8 in the Stage 3TM and P-51ATM Mustangs. This marks the first time the NHRA has given the nod to an aftermarket powertrain; previous competition powertrains had to be as-delivered by the manufacturer. Depending on configuration and bodystyle, the Roush Mustangs will be classified between AA Stock and B Stock or SuperStock A and F. Look for the first Roush car coming from Haas, Carrothers & Wagner Racing; the team won three consecutive NHRA Division 3 championships from 2004-2006, and they're currently building a Roush Mustang with a Stage 3TM powertrain.

[MustangEvolution]

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! Nitro Fumes And Meat On A Stick At The Mopar Mile High Nationals!

Murilee Martin — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EDT

Last weekend, I found myself in Denver on short notice, and damn if they weren't running the Mopar Mile High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway! As a Doctor Of Automotive Journalism, it was my sacred duty to check it out, regardless of the fact that I hadn't brought my good camera. It was 97 degrees in the shade, engines and sea-level humans were gasping for oxygen, and there was much grumbling that Top Fuel and Funny Car classes were running 320 feet less than before...but there's still no substitute for the apocalyptic full-body sensation of an 8,000 horsepower blown Hemi blasting off a few yards away. Make the jump for the complete gallery.

[Race Results]

Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pack Finally Revealed

Mark Arnold — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EDT

After more than a year of anticipation, Chrysler has taken the wraps off the Drag Package for the 2008 Dodge Challenger (Read our three-part review of the SRT8 here!). At least 100 of the Mopar muscle machines will be built, each tailored for the specific NHRA category in which the buyer wishes to compete. The big decision will be whether you want a 5.9-liter Magnum wedge, 5.7-liter Hemi or the big 'n nasty 6.1-liter Hemi. Any of them can be paired with either a manual or automatic transmission. Full details in the press release below the jump.

The Drag Package Challengers are also stripped down and fitted with lightweight components like a composite lift-off style hood, which also comes in handy if you want to disturb the peace in your neighborhood. Of course, the cars won't be street legal, so if you want to cruise Woodward, you'll be asking for trouble.

Center Line, Mich., Jul 13, 2008 - Mopar® is bringing the iconic Dodge Challenger muscle car to National Hot Road Association (NHRA) drag-racing competition. Mopar revealed two Dodge Challenger Drag Race Package Cars at the 29th Annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals today before thrilled fans at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo. Mopar Mile-High Nationals is the longest-running NHRA sponsorship.
"Big Daddy" Don Garlits and Judy "Miss Mighty Mopar" Lilly were behind the wheels for their inaugural track run. Garlits drove the car featuring the Stone White paint scheme. Lilly was behind the wheel of the "Mopar Liquid Metal" prototype. NHRA named Garlits the #1 driver of the Top 50 drivers from its first 50 years. His victories and accomplishments are virtually unmatched in drag-racing history. "Miss Mighty Mopar" is one of the female pioneers in drag racing. Spending 12 years on the NHRA circuit, Lilly is the only female driver to win two NHRA national events in one year.

Mopar built the first two Challenger Drag Race Package Cars for development and testing for its new Challenger Package Car program. Based on the Challenger SRT8®, the prototypes were finished in Stock Eliminator configuration. They ran successfully in June 2008 as proof-of-concept and for NHRA certification. Mopar dropped approximately 1,000 lbs. off the production Challenger SRT8 by eliminating major production components and systems. To accentuate the weight savings, they also feature added composite, polycarbonate and lightweight components designed for drag racing that will be part of the new Package Car program.

The engine was repositioned to improve driveline angle and weight distribution. The 116-inch wheelbase was shortened by ½ inch. They also feature a front cradle with bolt-in crossmember and solid engine mounts.

"Today is a great day for Mopar, Dodge, SRT, drag racers and motorsports enthusiasts everywhere. Not made for the streets, our drag-race-only Challengers will be running soon in NHRA competition—the best grassroots racing series in the world," said Sunil Lahoti, Mopar Marketing and Brand Manager, Chrysler LLC. "And who better to drive our new Challenger Package Cars on their inaugural track run than 'Big Daddy' and 'Miss Mighty Mopar'—the greatest drag racer of all time and a female pioneer of the sport."

New Dodge Challenger Drag Race Package Car Program by Mopar
The first drag-race, factory-prepped package cars built in 40 years, the new Challenger Drag Race Package Car by Mopar builds on the heritage of the limited-edition 1968 HEMI®-powered Package Cars. Those '68 Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas solidified the Mopar brand as a quarter-mile force.

Mopar will build a minimum of 100 Challenger Drag Race Package Cars to meet NHRA requirements. Based on the production Dodge Challenger SRT8, Mopar's modern factory-prepped Challenger Drag Race Package Car will begin as a special Body-in-White (BIW) from Chrysler's Brampton, Ontario, Canada, assembly plant. The body sealer, sound deadener and undercoat will be eliminated. To reduce vehicle weight, major production component and systems will also be eliminated including: windshield wiper assembly, complete HVAC system, all airbag components, rear seats, power steering system, exhaust system and underbody heat shields, cross-car and side impact door beams, rear bumper beam and rear deck lid spoiler.

The drag racer has three engine options—6.1-liter or 5.7-liter HEMI or 5.9-liter Magnum® Wedge—as well as manual or automatic transmission.

A build book/owner's manual will be provided to document the modifications made to the Challenger SRT8 as well as provide recommendations to finish the Package Car for Stock Eliminator competition. To accentuate weight savings, there are unique drag-race components in the Package Car program including: composite lift-off hood with functional scoop, Viper-style front seats, polycarbonate door windows, lightweight cooling module with electric fan, manual rack and pinion steering, special cable-operated deck lid release, special lightweight front brake assembly and special cable-operated throttle linkage and pedal assembly.

The Challenger Drag Race Package Car will be eligible to run in three Eliminator categories—Comp, Super Stock and Stock—and potentially 40 classes.

Depending upon the configuration selected, the U.S. Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the Challenger Drag Race Package Car program will range from the low to mid $30s. Each car will carry an identification plate with sequential serial number.

The Challenger Drag Race Package Car will be available for order in late August to early September. A toll-free number will be designated for ordering. Details will be posted on www.mopar.com.

Now in its fifth decade, NHRA is the world's largest motorsports sanctioning body with 80,000 members, 140 member tracks, more than 35,000 licensed competitors and more than 5,000 member-track events. NHRA is second only to NASCAR in terms of fan attendance.

70 Years of Mopar
When Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated parts manufacturer, supplier and distribution system to support the growing enterprise led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation (CMPC) in 1929.

Originally used in the 1920s, Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for a line of antifreeze products in 1937. It was also widely used as a moniker for the CMPC. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960s—the muscle car era. The Chrysler Corporation built race-ready Dodge and Plymouth "package cars" equipped with special high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of "Special Parts" for super stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use.

Today, Chrysler LLC's Global Service & Parts division is responsible for the manufacturing and distribution of nearly 250,000 authentic Mopar replacement parts, components, restoration parts, accessories and performance parts for Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge vehicles sold around the world. To assure quality, reliability and durability, all Mopar parts and accessories are designed in strict adherence to Chrysler engineering standards.

[Chrysler]

NHRA Shortens Track After Fatal Crash, No Longer 1/4-Mile

Mark Arnold — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT

As an interim safety measure in the wake of Scott Kalitta's fatal crash, the NHRA has decided to shorten the length of the race in the Funny Car and Top Fuel classes from 1320 feet down to 1000 feet. This comes as part of an effort to reduce speeds; plus, with the shortened racing distance, the drivers are left with more track after the finish line, allowing them more time to slow down after the race. The measure is said to be temporary, but the NHRA is looking into several other ways to increase safety and decrease the risk of another tragedy.

Further measures the NHRA is considering include:
- What might be done to reduce engine failures
- Altering 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

So what do you think of this temporary change, and the prospect of future changes? Certainly there's inherent danger that comes with drag racing such beastly machines, so should safety come first or be sacrificed in the quest for all-out speed? [NHRA]

NHRA Testing Vibrator

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EDT

If you follow gaming or home theater gadgets, you may have heard of the Guitammer ButtKicker system. The core of the system is an electromagnetic piston capable of reproducing low-range frequencies without sound, providing an immersive experience to correspond with music or on-screen action. The NHRA is testing this industrial-grade vibrator as a way to simulate the drag racing experience on the couches of fans at home. This weekend, Jeg Coughlin Jr. will be carrying the transmission system in his Chevy Cobalt drag racer and a group of test subjects will be experiencing seat-of-the-pants racing like never before.

Billed as an investigative study, the system may be expanded if response is positive, and be available on a subscription basis for the various race classes. The company is also in talks with NASCAR to provide a similar system, and officials there will be looking at this weekend's experiment very closely. See, we got through the whole post without making a "Squeal like a pig" joke. Oh, dammit. [Autoweek and ButtKicker.com]

Scott Kalitta, NHRA Champion, Killed In Qualifying Incident

Matt Hardigree — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 23:01:00 EDT

UPDATE: We've now posted the Scott Kalitta crash video. Funny Car driver and two-time Top Fuel champion Scott Kalitta died after injuries sustained in a fiery crash during the final round of qualifying of the Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway park saturday. According to reports, his Toyota Solara Funny Car experienced an engine explosion at around 300 mph, causing his car to hit a sand trap and eventually crash. Kalitta, age 46, had a long and successful career, including back-to-back championships in the NHRA POWERade Series Top Fuel series in 1994 and 1995.

THe NHRA released the following statement:

On behalf of everyone at NHRA, we are deeply saddened and want to pass along our sincere condolences to the entire Kalitta family.
Scott shared the same passion for drag racing as his legendary father, Connie. He also shared the same desire to win, becoming a two-time series world champion. He left the sport for a period of time, to devote more time to his family, only to be driven to return to the dragstrip to regain his championship form.

Scott was a terrific driver and perhaps more importantly a better person and a great father to his two kids. He will be truly missed by the entire NHRA community.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Kathy, sons Corey and Colin, his cousin Doug, and his father Connie.

[Photo: TriciaCoyne]

Ashley Force Wins Funny Car Race, Seriously

Mark Arnold — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:40:00 EDT

After Danica Patrick won her first Indy race, there was a lot of noise from talking heads, with serial bloviators like Pedro de la Rosa and Gregg Doyel weighing in on the topic of women in motorsport. So, to shut up all the skeptics, Ashley Force won at yesterday's NHRA Southern Nationals to become the first female driver to win a national Funny Car event. The victory came against her dad, the legendary John Force, denying him of what would have been his 1000th career win. Her final 1/4-mile run was 4.837 seconds at 320.36 MPH— lets see you macho guys do that without needing to change your underwear.

"I'm just happy to win an event. That was the main thing," Ashley said. "Being a female, that's exciting as far as the records and everything, but my team, we just wanted to get our first win. We went a whole year last year and got close a few times. To finally get it done, we're just so excited."

[via ESPN]

Pat "Uncle Patty" Foster, Racing And Tuning Legend, Dead At Age 67

Ray Wert — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 08:30:00 EDT

We're all saddened to hear legendary drag racer, builder and tuner Pat "Uncle Patty" Foster passed away on March 28th due to what we're told were "medical complications." What to say about "Uncle Patty?" Well, we could talk about how Foster started his career as a test pilot, or how over the past 35 years Pat Foster built everything from Gas Coupes to Land Speed Record cars, and every Dragster and Funny in between. We could talk about how Foster was involved in virtually every aspect of the Southern California and national racing scene — how he worked with the likes of Woody Gilmore, Ronnie Scrima, Frank Huszar, Jim Hume, Nye Frank, Tom Jobe, Mickey Thompson and the recently-passed John Buttera. No, instead, we'll let Hot Rod's Jim Hill tell you a story from the June '69 NHRA Springnationals where he first crossed paths with "Uncle Patty"

On a qualifying run Foster collided with Gerry Schwartz, a relatively new Funny Car racer from Fort Wayne, Indiana. The well-liked Schwartz had assembled a Logghe chassis and a nitro burning big-block Chevy and was trying to make the Springnationals his breakthrough event. The car was once the Logghe "house car", mounting a Cougar body and powered by an SOHC Ford. Now with the Chevy it was called the "Ratty Cat". Although not as well known as the team of Foster and Ongais, Schwartz and his car had the ability to make the show and go rounds.
Conflicting stories have since been told, but the two cars collided in a frightful, screeching, grinding crash. Schwartz's Cougar did several violent rollovers atop the Armco guardrail with dust and debris raining across a wide area. I was on the pit side of the track and had walked over to the fence to watch the fuel cars make their runs. In the resulting melee the engine in Schwartz's high-gear only car went sky-high, exploding and tossing its clutch, flywheel, floater discs and other components. Pieces came slashing towards my location and as I tried to run to safety, I suddenly realized that the shrapnel was much faster than my feet. The pieces kissed and landed in the pits, striking several cars but injuring no one in the pit area.

Across the track the crash was as bad as it looked. Both cars were destroyed, the damage to Schwartz's car obviously the worst. Foster had injuries, but the innovative roll cage design of the new M/T car kept Foster from more serious peril. Schwartz's older car didn't have that advantage. The steel guardrail acted like a vicious buzz saw and Gerry Schwartz perished from massive head injuries sustained in the crash.

Many years later, after I had become friends with Pat, I told him I had been there, and I related my own recollections of that day and its aftermath. Foster's face grew dark. It was obvious that this was a memory maybe best left unvisited. After a few seconds to gather his composure he told me the whole story of that day and the run, and how much he regretted its results.

Pat Foster was like that, always quick to relate a humorous story from the old days or to explain what happened and how he handled another. When the story related to one of the tragedies in his life he never ducked the punch, but stepped up and told it the best way he knew, honestly and factually. It's impossible not to admire someone with that type of personal ethical character.

We need more men in racing with the honesty of Pat Foster. He'll be sorely missed. [Hot Rod]

Lil John Buttera, Funny Car Legend, Dead At 67

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:45:00 EST

Lil John Buttera, famous for making some of the most visually and technologically unique dragsters and funny cars, died yesterday after a long battle with cancer. Both an engineer and a designer, Buttera contributed to drag racing with cutting edge manufacturing techniques and aesthetic touches that helped increase the popularity of the sport in the 1970's. Some of his most famous designs include Don Prudhomme's Snake II, Mickey Thompson's Mach 1 and our personal favorite: the Wonder Wagon Vega driven by Don Schumacher.

Buttera's talent also extended to motorcylces, classic rods and even an Indy 500 racer. His passing comes only four days after the death of Boyd Coddington, who was both a fellow rodder and an old friend of Lil John. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. (h/t to StuPidaso and others that sent this in) [NHRA.com, Jalopy Journal, Photo StreetRodderWeb.com]

Slingshot Dragster Launch At 1,000 Frames Per Second

Murilee Martin — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 14:30:00 EST

Forget about super-slo-mo films of hummingbird wings or water droplets- watching a vintage dragster spin its tires at launch is the real reason the 1,000FPS camera is such a great thing! The best part of this film- well, aside from the general batshit insanity of slingshot dragsters, of course- is that you can see individual exhaust pulses blowing the smoke off the top of the tire as it spins. This is an excerpt from a film about the 1969 NHRA Drags, courtesy of this YouTube user.

Ford and NHRA Create Black Blue Boxes For Nitro Cars

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:00:00 EST

There's an old Chris Rock joke that goes "How come every time an airplane crashes, all they can ever find is the black box. Why don't they just make the whole plane out of the black box?" That's all a setup for this story about Ford and NHRA teaming up to provide Blue Box sensors for all dragsters in the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes. They've already been tested in the past by the likes of John Force Racing, who knows how to knock the crap out of a car. Besides good times for the engineers, the raw crash data will be used to help develop better and safer cars. Press release below:

ORD AND NHRA TEAM UP ON SAFETY; BLUE BOXES TO DEBUT IN ALL NHRA NITRO CARS AT START OF 2008 SEASON

* NHRA will mandate Ford Blue Box crash sensors on all Funny Car and Top Fuel race cars in 2008
* Ford's safety efforts in NHRA are the latest in the company's efforts to make auto racing safer for all competitors

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 11 - Accelerating safety development in the sport of drag racing, the NHRA and Ford Racing jointly announced today that all cars in the Funny Car and Top Fuel classes will be outfitted with the Ford Racing "Blue Box" crash sensors for the 2008 season.

"Ford, like the NHRA, is committed to continuously improving safety. It's important to further improving our passenger cars and trucks and also to what we're doing in racing," said Dan Davis, director of Ford Racing Technology. "We're supplying Blue Boxes - at no cost - for all nitro cars for next year. It's the right thing to do for the sport and the millions of customers who will benefit from whatever we learn on the track."

The announcement comes after seven months of initial testing and data analysis of the Blue Boxes on the Mustang Funny Cars of John Force Racing (JFR).

Ford Racing offered the crash sensors and engineering support for their use after the death of JFR driver Eric Medlen in a testing accident in March, which led JFR, in cooperation with Ford Racing, NHRA and the sport's suppliers, in August to launch "The Eric Medlen Project," a wide-ranging program designed to further improve safety in the sport.

Ford Racing and NHRA will work together during the next several weeks and prior to the start of the 2008 POWERade Drag Racing season on specific program elements.

"NHRA has, since its inception, always been committed to improve safety in the sport," said Graham Light, senior vice president of racing operations. "And, during that time, NHRA has worked on an ongoing basis with manufacturers and the racing community to enhance the safety of these vehicles. We are very proud of our safety record, given the inherent risks in the sport, and look forward to analyzing the data we anticipate to receive from the Blue Box initiative to further our commitment to safety."

In addition to initial testing on the Force Mustangs, the Blue Boxes were tested for the final two races of the 2007 season on the Top Fuel dragster of Larry Dixon, to start a prove-out process on that class of vehicle.

This marks the second time in recent years Ford Racing has stepped to the forefront in safety development in racing. From 1996-2006, Ford Blue Boxes were mandatory on all cars in the Champ Car World Series.

In the Champ Car program, Ford's Safety Research & Development group analyzed the raw crash data, along with the supporting medical reports, photographs, and video.

Ford then developed a CAE model of the driver inside a racecar cockpit to recreate the accident through computer simulation. The purpose of the research was to predict responses and injury potentials to the drivers in high "g-force" impacts.

The results were then compared with the actual response and physical condition of the driver from the medical reports. Based upon the research, Ford evaluated the effectiveness of contemporary safety devices used in the cars, and communicated the research with Champ Car and its chassis suppliers.

"This work has great potential because it provides information we simply can't get anywhere else," said Davis. "That's why we're so committed to doing the same type of program for NHRA. The experience we gained in Champ Car gave us an excellent baseline to work from. It helped us correlate the crash models our engineers and safety experts had been working with."

During the first seven months of the latest initiative, Ford's safety effort has focused in on four main areas:

* Data collection through the Ford Blue Boxes and accelerometers in the drivers' ears
* Helmet and driver restraint testing
* Computer modeling of the current chassis, as well as seven-post shaker testing
* Occupant modeling of the driver cockpit area

Initial changes already made by Ford Racing, based on the data collected, have included the addition of extra head padding in the driver's cockpit, and several changes to the chassis that helped strengthen it during the 300 mph runs.

Those changes have been tested several times during on-track incidents this season, including a crash in Dallas by John Force that left him with serious injuries on his extremities, but no head or internal injuries.

"It's important to note that these are just first steps in what we hope will be a long-term effort toward making drag racing an even safer sport," said Davis. "Having the Blue Boxes on all cars in Top Fuel and Funny Car will allow us to gather more data in a shorter period of time, so that everyone in the sport can use it to benefit all of the competitors."

# # # [Source: Ford]

OK Then: What About Drag Racing?

Jonny Lieberman — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 11:30:00 EST

You all had such strong reactions to our little NASCAR query that we're going to keep it going. So, for those of you who bitched and moaned about, "turn left, turn left, turn left, turn left," here's a motorized endeavor that features no turning whatsoever. Just machines barreling straight down a quarter mile runaway. Totally lost on Europeans (who the hell cares about 402.336 meters?) drag racing is about as American as it gets. Half the kids I went to high school with had Chevelles and '55 Bel Airs that could (supposedly) run in the 11s. And these were 16-year-olds. And we will be the first to admit that the times and speeds being achieved by modern top fuel dragsters are mind boggling. 4.5 seconds at 330 mph doesn't even make sense, let alone the fact that drivers are subjected to 6 Gs under acceleration. That said, we find drag racing pretty dull and would rather watch NASCAR. Also, many complained that drifting is nothing but an exhibition. Pot kettle black much?

John Force Goes Home After 27 Days In Hopsital

tingwall — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 21:21:34 EDT

Drag racer John Force returned to his home on Saturday after spending 27 days in the hospital, but still has a long way to go before he makes a full recovery. Force was traveling at more than 300 mph in the Funny Car semifinals of the O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals when the violent crash that split his car in two occurred. Watching the video of the accident will leave you shocked that he only suffered a broken ankle, foot, hand and fingers along with injuries to a knee and wrist. Force will still have regular therapy and is scheduled to have pins removed from his legs in five weeks. Most of his time out of bed will be spent in a wheelchair or a walker, but he plans to attend the last two NHRA events of the season. [Sports Illustrated]

Down in the Grove at Bakersfield

Mike Bumbeck — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 16:00:00 EDT

A week has past since we drove into the drizzle with a 207 thousand plus miles econobox to get to Bakerfield for a drag race that also happened to be a swap meet and car show. The roots of the California Hot Rod Reunion run deeper into history than a modern drag racing event. Behind the bleachers at Famoso Raceway is the Grove, in the ground of which trees are planted in honor of those drag racing heavyweights that have passed on. The Grove at the CHRR is packed with those who feel a strong enough connection to the action on the track to fork over a few extra sawbucks to show off their rides - with some spots conspicuously vacant after the call to the staging lanes crackled over the loudspeakers.

Super Nova Melt Down at CHRR

Mike Bumbeck — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 19:00:00 EDT

The bad news is the Randy Walls Super Nova exploded in a horrific fireball at half track during Chicago style first round action at the California Hot Rod Reunion. The good news is Randy walked away with only minor burns and smoke inhalation. The MaxChevy crew were down at the top end and captured the full destructive power of nitro in photo sequence. [Walls Goes 'Super Nova' at CHRR via MaxChevy.com]

Monday! Monday! Monday! CHRR Funny Cars!

Mike Bumbeck — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 15:45:00 EDT

The mayhem that was the Chicago-style Nostalgia Funny Car battle at the California Hot Rod Reunion wrapped yesterday with Bucky Austin driving his 1977 ~~Mitsubishi Lancer Celeste~~ Plymouth Arrow-bodied Funny Car to the king of the hill spot. The struggle to the finish was as heavy in the pits as it was on the track, as crews blew apart what was left of engines to repair damage from the horrors of nitro in time for the next round. Out of nineteen cars entered only one could trip the win light in the end. Vegas, Mustangs, and Firebirds all eventually fell victim to the power of Plymouth.