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I remember Feb. 18, 2001 very well. I have to have my dog put down that morning as he was nearly bilind and full of Cancer. I Got home in time to watch the Daytona 500. I was a fan of Dale Earnhardt. At the end of the race, when he the wall, it didn't appear to be as bad as it turned out. I was shocked when I found out later that he had died. I haven't really followed it all that much since. I remember Fireball Roberts and Joe Weatherly ( from Norfolk Va.). I think Roberts lost his lfe when his car caught fire in Charlotte ( not sure of the track) and Joe weatherly lost his life when his head ended up outside the side window and hit the wall at the old Riverside Track in SoCal.
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#1225
rgreen4 
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Posted 23 December 2008 - 10:34 PM
When Fireball Roberts and Joe Weatherly were killed, they were in fact stock cars. They would go purchase a car on the showroom floor, soup up the engine, put in a roll cage, weld the doors shut and go racing. That era ended in 1972 when the cars would be custom made, basically roll cages welded together and the axles, wheels, engine and transmission added in with body panels made to look like stock cars.
Then came the disastrous 2000 and 2001 seasons when Kenny Irwin, Jr, Adam Petty and Dale Earnhardt were killed on the track, the first two during practice sessions at NH, and the latter in the 2001 Daytona 500. The idea they had been discussing for years was then put on the front burner. A custom build NASCAR car, wider, taller, heavier and safer. They have added new barrier linings at the tracks with foam inserts to absorb some of the impact. The drivers were mandated to wear a HANS device (Head And Neck reStraint) that basically uses straps to tie the race driver's helmet to a torso harness so it won't whip saw (this was the cause of death of Dale Earnhardt). It was either the 2002 or 2003 NASCAR Banquet when Tony Stewart made his famous entrance to the podium saying how comfortable the HANS harness was, opening his tuxedo to show the harness. The audience laughed because he had been fined and put on probation for not wearing one during a race, claiming it was uncomfortable.
During the 2007 season at certain tracks, the new car was unveiled and some liked it, and some hated it, but all agreed that it is safer. The only difference now between the "makes" of cars, is the car insignia decal on the front and the engine. Everything else is the same, as stock cars aren't stock anymore. But they are safe. I think it was last year that Jeff Gordon spun and his car hit an opening on the inside wall of the track, the front of the car was sheared off and parts were flying. Jeff climbed out and walked away. Without the new cars Jeff Gordon and Michael McDowells accidents would have resulted in at a minimum serious injuries.
Carl Edward's car looked bad after hitting the wall, but it still ran well, thanks to all the new bracing. In the door area there are now three tubular bars welded horizontally about 6" apart. When they hit the wall it just pushes the metal in to those braces and everything stops. The seats are totally different with extensions of the headrest coming forward on either side of the drivers head to keep his head from going side to side in an accident (the HANS only controls front to back movement), with massive side bolsters to protect his body. Dale Earnhardt used a small, lowback flat seat, like you might find in a delivery truck as the seat in his race car.
Thank goodness for the new car.
Then came the disastrous 2000 and 2001 seasons when Kenny Irwin, Jr, Adam Petty and Dale Earnhardt were killed on the track, the first two during practice sessions at NH, and the latter in the 2001 Daytona 500. The idea they had been discussing for years was then put on the front burner. A custom build NASCAR car, wider, taller, heavier and safer. They have added new barrier linings at the tracks with foam inserts to absorb some of the impact. The drivers were mandated to wear a HANS device (Head And Neck reStraint) that basically uses straps to tie the race driver's helmet to a torso harness so it won't whip saw (this was the cause of death of Dale Earnhardt). It was either the 2002 or 2003 NASCAR Banquet when Tony Stewart made his famous entrance to the podium saying how comfortable the HANS harness was, opening his tuxedo to show the harness. The audience laughed because he had been fined and put on probation for not wearing one during a race, claiming it was uncomfortable.
During the 2007 season at certain tracks, the new car was unveiled and some liked it, and some hated it, but all agreed that it is safer. The only difference now between the "makes" of cars, is the car insignia decal on the front and the engine. Everything else is the same, as stock cars aren't stock anymore. But they are safe. I think it was last year that Jeff Gordon spun and his car hit an opening on the inside wall of the track, the front of the car was sheared off and parts were flying. Jeff climbed out and walked away. Without the new cars Jeff Gordon and Michael McDowells accidents would have resulted in at a minimum serious injuries.
Carl Edward's car looked bad after hitting the wall, but it still ran well, thanks to all the new bracing. In the door area there are now three tubular bars welded horizontally about 6" apart. When they hit the wall it just pushes the metal in to those braces and everything stops. The seats are totally different with extensions of the headrest coming forward on either side of the drivers head to keep his head from going side to side in an accident (the HANS only controls front to back movement), with massive side bolsters to protect his body. Dale Earnhardt used a small, lowback flat seat, like you might find in a delivery truck as the seat in his race car.
Thank goodness for the new car.
#1226
coastie65
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Posted 24 December 2008 - 06:26 AM
He RG, yeah, after Joe Weatherly, they mandated the side window nets. They only safety feature was lap belts as I recall. They didn't have special racing slicks but instead, they ran standard bias ply tires with tread. As you said they were factory stock and when the race was over they just opened the car door and climbed out.
#1227
coastie65
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Posted 24 December 2008 - 06:32 AM
snorg said:
h1. Hi Sweet Pea
h2. Im on a new drug.
h3. Lipator
h2. Im on a new drug.
h3. Lipator
Lipitor is good. You don't want to have those pipes get clogged up. Take it from someone who has been there, it doesn't feel so good. I was on Zocor,then was changed to Vytorin, and then changed again to Crestor. I have to go get some blood work done next month to see if it is working like they want as they had to increase the dose.
#1230
rtfire1
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Posted 24 December 2008 - 08:15 AM
Hey Rg did you ever see when they race the monster trucks on the nascar track. The yellow truck on the page i posted thats named War Wagon was my uncals truck till he stopped racing and he did one of those crazy nascar track races http://offroaders.co...Motorsports.htm
#1231
coastie65
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Posted 24 December 2008 - 08:24 AM
Het rt, Never saw them race those things on a track. I got my racing fis while stationed up there by going to a track in Norwood. Mostly modified and sportsman series stuff on a dirt track.Not recommended if you are in Whites. :D
#1232
Knifeblade
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Posted 24 December 2008 - 08:47 AM
Just a quick HI and wishing everyone a Merry X-Mas!!!
#1233
rtfire1
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Posted 24 December 2008 - 08:51 AM
I love going to see dirt track racing. I dated a girl for a month that was a driver up in ny. She now is married to the guy whos car she was racing. it was a blast being down in the pit area watching that.
#1238
Tech4me
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Posted 26 December 2008 - 03:45 PM
Hi Adama. I don't know where my son got them...He emailed me 2 weeks ago....:Here are the last 3..:
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!http://forums.pcworld.com/legacyimages/
1!
!http://forums.pcworld.com/servlet/JiveServlet/downloadImage/2-170245-8077/Pcw.bmp!
