Antron Brown accident

[RH]

My condolences go out to the victim and her family regarding this very sad,tragic chain of events.I am glad to see that Antron was not seriously injured and feel very bad for him in this situation.He's a wonderful and caring person and I am sure this is having a devastating effect on him.

Through out the history of the sport the commercial dragstrip has proven to be an overall safe environment for both racers and spectators but as we know there is an assumed risk any time you strap in a car or to a lesser extent choose to enter the premises. Accidents on track,in the pits and occasionally in the stands are an inherrent though fortunately very rare risk. They happen in all forms of motorsports from 320mph dragsters to Rally,Indy cars,Nascar,MX,boat and Stadium racing.

It is incumbent on the organizations sanctioning these events to provide the highest level of safety and security for those participating without overly infringing on the entertainment experience. It's difficult I'm sure to balance safety and fan friendliness. No body wants to sit 100yds back from the pass,look over 6ft barriers and be held back 100ft during a nitro car warm up.While I am sure that there is room for improved safety that can also be fan friendly,I think the sanctioned tracks do a good job in providing a good safe show and venue. On the other hand I do feel that this tragedy should really suggest a re-think of the proposed NHRA 4 wide racing by the powers to be.

That being said I do feel that we have some technical issues that need to be addressed with the equipment that we are sending down the track. From the unlimited Weight Outlaw door cars right on up through the fuel ranks we are seeing more and more wheel seperations than ever before.Not all result in accidents and in fact most result in little vehicle damage but the fact is they are increasing.I get to the track 15-20 times a season and I can't tell you how many times over the last several years I've seen a tire do the Bouncing Betty routine down a track and over a wall.I've even heard comments joking about it from the crowd as one has gone on it's merry way ,usually ending up innocently running out of steam off in some track margin. It' been an accepted part of racing with these monster torque high horsepower beasts.
It has always been a concern for me and made me uncomfortable.

With the bearing loads that we are seeing these days unless we see a move to back these cars down substantionally(I prefer not) I think we have surpassed the usefullness of the conventional wheel mounting/restraint system(studs).It is apparent that the load put on these parts and the relatively small load bearing surfaces has made this system inadequate in todays world.We need a system with greatly increased load absorbtion surface and increased restraint for parts in the event of catastrophic failure.Some sort of super floater/interlocking wheel restraint system to keep everything home. When you look at a conventional set up,even on the massive fueler studs It's hard to image that being the only link between 8000hp and a ready to launch 200mph 150lb missle.

I'm sure this post is being waaaaay too simplistic but this is going to be a continuing problem.It's sadly unfortunate that it takes a tragedy like this to increase public awareness.I would like to think there has been an effort to correct this problem on going on the industry side before this loss and will bet there is.
Just take a look at how many ADRL race cars have been lost the last couple of years due to axle and wheel stud breakage(in Outlaww Doorslammer case often guys trying to save weight with superlight studs and non-floater rears.) The big players need to do what they can to minimize risk to drivers,equipment and fans and all need to work to build a better mouse-trap.
Any life lost is one too many.The industry does a great job of protecting the racers,let's see that same effort to limit collateral losses.

Ron

[pro70z28]

Good post RH. I've thought the same thing before looking at the rear wheels. My thought was how small a circumference the wheel pattern is. It seems to me if they used a wider bolt pattern (say 6'' or 7'') and maybe more studs it would carry the load better. This would require a redesign of the wheel also, but the further you get the studs from the axle the more torque they will handle. Just a thought.

[RH]

Gary,keep in thought two things here:
1)Keeping the incidence of seperations down.Surely your thoughts and possibly things like heavily splined studs and mated re-designed wheels to improve increased bearing surface could factor in here. Possibly even something sacrificial in the rear that could be contained ( I know....I'm pushing the envelope here)
2)Containing the wheel and related parts in the event of a rare seperation after all of #1 has been ironed out.
I see this as more the challenge.

I hope this tragedy can result in a lot of very creative engineers thinking.

Ron

[WildcatOne]

Thank you for posting this. It makes sense. My condolences to the victim, her family and friends, and my sympathy to Antron Brown, NHRA, Firebird Raceway and DSR. Antron will carry this with him.

Why does it take something like this...the sooner this event is over, the better. On the other hand, this whole week could serve as a benchmark from which to make improvements in the future. The words in this thread will hopefully bear that out. WC1

[WCB]

Obviously a tragic accident.......
Thank God these things don't happen often.
Prayers to those affected.....

[Andamo]

My sincere condolences to the family of the woman that died yesterday. You're right Ron, there is more and more wheel/axle/stud issues these past 5 seasons than in the past. I'm not familiar with the wheel teathers they use in F1 racing, and I'm hoping someone weighs in on this. Would something like the teathers stop the wheel from leaving the chassis until a new attachment method can be designed and built ? The loads on the wheels/axles/studs has to be tremendous and this seems to be the weak spot that needs addressed soon.

[draglist]

Our deepest condolences to the lady's family and friends. I'm sorry for Antron, too, who seems like a truly good guy. bp

[Rapid Randy Baker]

This is a sad deal. Prayers to all who are involved.

[Diana The Doc]

First of all, I'd like to express my heartfelt condolences for the woman who lost her life and her family... The entire drag racing community feels downright awful about this incident... In regards to Antron Brown-- With the tragedy that happened in Arizona, it is important that Don Schumacher Racing promptly provide their driver, Antron Brown, professional psychological counseling... History has proven that motorsport drivers who have the unfortunate experience of having a car that they were driving be responsible for the death of a spectator(s) often suffer ongoing psychological trauma and consequences for a lifetime, because no mater what the circumstances of the accident actually were, there always remains an inherent emotion in their psyche, that somehow makes them feel responsible for the death (even if it was a completely accidental incident)... There was a famous jet-car driver (who shall remain nameless), who drove a car that accidentally killed a spectator, this same jet-car driver was reported to spend many sleepless nights for many years, clenching his fist in bed, while repeating the incident in his mind over and over again-- This is also a common occurrence among roundy-round racers who've been involved in accidents that have resulted in spectator fatalities... I don't want to see Antron Brown have to go through that kind of anxiety for the remainder of his life, he doesn't deserve that-- Although what happened as a result of his dragster did in fact kill the woman in Arizona, it was in no way Antron's fault-- I strongly recommend that Antron receive professional psychological counseling in order to give him the best chance at living a life of optimum mental health... Antron Brown is a good man who deserves the right to a sound night's sleep, and not to be haunted by the psychological demons of unwarranted guilt... "The Doc" (Celebrity Drag Racing Authority & Visionary)...

[WCB]

Better,higher catch fences.........