Is there room for common sense in Pro Mod racing.

This week’s blog has to deal with safety in drag racing. I have and always will be a big proponent for safety, safety equipment and rules that promotes safety.

The focus is on the class of Pro Mod. The past two NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series races have seen two devastating crashes.  These two events along with crashes that have taken place at ADRL, XDRL, and other independent Pro Mod races along with some Top Sportsman racers. This also includes the crashes that took the life of two racers.

Why is the occurring?  I have many contacts with in the Pro Mod community and I spoke with some of them about these occurrences.  I had a suspicion to the cause of these accidents. However, to my surprise the response I got was not what I completely expected.

The consensus of these drivers and crew chiefs that I spoke with the cause of these incidents were attributed to two different factors.  Lack of down force and OHS.I will explain OHS later.

Speaking with a couple of drivers they said that first off there is a lack of down force on these cars, as in many instances on the pro stock cars. One driver told me  “These cars need to run more wing in them, but if you do that it slows the car down, so they (driver) trim it out to get the car faster.”  The lack of down force will make the car faster as long as it is in the grove and can stay stuck, but once it gets out of the grove the lack of down force and traction makes the cars skate around.

When I asked the crew chiefs if the speeds were too fast for cars with suspension?  To a man, they said no. Technology has made suspension cars more stable. Many of the pro mod cars do not run the electronic shocks; most have gone to the Penske shock package that seems to make the car more forgiving.

So what is the other contributing factor?  A very grizzly Army warrior explained it to me many years ago when I served in the Army, he called it OHS. So what is OHS?  Operator Head Space, according to this Army warrior is, and I will edit it somewhat. It is when an individual’s posterior overloads their capacity of their cranial cavity. Lack of common sense.

One of the drivers stated it somewhat in the same vernacular. “ When drivers, drive over their heads that is when they get into trouble. Another crew chief stated  that “ It is hard sometimes to get it through their ( a drivers) heads that if the cars starts moving around, just shove the clutch in and come back to fight another day.”

This same crew chief stated that “ The competition has gotten so tough that if the car doesn’t make a perfect run that it doesn’t make sense to try and pedal the car to save a run.”  He went on to say “ is it really worth that $1000.00 in round money to risk wadding up a $120,000.00 dollars race car?”

However, all of these arguments make sense, but racers will be racers and when these drivers get into the cars their only thought is to get to the other end under power no matter what. I have personally seen this attitude develop from the time the driver steps into the car till they get out at the other end. It is like a thousand meter stare. “I will do almost everything to get the car to the finish line.”

Therefore, we know racers will be racers and some of them will put their brains into neutral when they go down the racetrack. It is how they are wired. So is there anything which would assist drivers in having better control of the car or do something to the cars to help the drivers if the car gets into trouble.

I think so. First, the sanctioning bodies need to work with car builders and racers to come up with a rear wing and front air dam package to make the cars more aero-stable.  Therefore, when the cars start to move around out of the grove it will help the driver to get control of the car. However, many drivers and crew chiefs say that aero really does not start to effect the cars till about the 1/8 mile.  Which is what the ADRL, XDRL and other outlaw bodies run on.

 The other thing is that since the NHRA has no problem taking other ideas that NASCAR has come up with, and bend it into something that will help the NHRA.

 The NHRA should take the NASCAR idea of roof flaps and makes those mandatory on all Pro Mods, Pro Stock and Top Sportsman cars. Therefore, when the cars get turned around as the air gets under the rear wing and tries to lift the car, the roof flaps will help fight that tendency. I would use the Gen Six style roof flats as they have a larger surface area and the small “parachute” side areas on the flaps.

The final thing is that maybe drivers need to step back and evaluate their situations. If the car starts doing something silly, shove the clutch in. It is one thing to wreck your own stuff , but it is another to wreck your opponents stuff in your moment of stupidity.

These are suggestions and I would gladly love to hear what others have to say about this.

I just hate seeing race cars tore up and more so, drivers hurt or even killed over a lack of for common sense, and driving over their heads. No I am not calling for a nanny state, but I am calling for an injection of common sense.