The tire was coming apart before the timing block ever came close to Force's car. Look at about the 27 second mark. Right above the spoiler you see a black strip of something flexible flying up, followed by blue smoke out of the back of the car. You can clearly see the timing block at least a foot away from the car. If the LR tire blew, the RR would instantly have more traction, causing the car to veer to the right. Malfunction of the tire, followed by chassis malfunction. Not NHRA's fault.
Your "deadly" timing blocks don't seem to damage any of the cars in the video. The video also shows the block going behind Force's car into the guardwall. Other videos of that incident show the timing blocks sitting on the track after the crash.
NHRA Drag Racing has become very boring to say the least. Lets see some more freak accidents and deaths just to "spice" things up a tittle...And I don't mean the Force family running around with their "reality shows"!!!
it is apairent the timeing box blew john forces tires out, these timeing boxes should not be on the race track indangering the public and the drivers, funny cars are very hard to drive let alone haveing a box on the track,, thay say its a automatic disqullifacation for hiting a box why the hell are the boxes needed anyways? what ever happent to old fashion drag racing,NHRA ever hear of wrongful death we know these boxes are dangerous i sugest you remove them soon.....!
It was the broken fragments of Kenny's carbon fiber body that cut the tire. Watch close, the left front of the body breaks apart into pieces, which cut John's tire. Also, you claim negligence...what do you propose they put on the track to break the beams into different lanes. Short of having a wall down the entire center of the track, the blocks are the best option i know of.
I work at one of the tracks shown in this video. The timing blocks are foam cubes that weight less than one pound each and will compress to about a inch thick if you stand on them. If you really think that will cause any amount of damage, well, there's a reason you aren't in the motorsports business.
@AntiSemantic1 There are no infrared sensors in the block. The sensors are positioned outside the guardrails. The blocks are made of low density foam and have a countersuck plastic reflector inside...like the ones that you stick on the side of a trailer or bicycle. The blocks are glued down with silicone sealer and weigh no more than about 4 oz. each. I work at NortStar Dragway and work three nights a week for the last 8 years with the very same system used at Ennis.
What's with Defending this Timing Block Thing?? Its not just the john thing Either,..Listen and Pay Attention to the Original Author's Thoughts and Statements! I Love NHRA but they can Do Better, Thats a Given,...
Wow! So many accident investigators analyzing this video. I'm no expert in the matter, but you can clearly see the blocks go behind the car. I'm sorry if this upsets those of you who feel like they have a P.H.D in investigating car accidents. The reason NHRA has'nt done any changes is because there is no issue to change. Race cars have been hitting timing blocks for many years. If racers felt unsafe with timing blocks on the track, they would make it an issue.
F Y I, I retired from this business and at one time worked for JFR and I must say you are like most fans that have absolutly NO CLUE what you are talking about! Those timing blocks are FOAM RUBBER and at one time were stirofoam and in no way can or will puncture a tire. Medlen, Force, and Hights chassis failures were due to harmonics, heat teated tubing failure, and possibly missed or poor maintanence. Stick to being a fan and leave it to us professionals why don't you!
@AntiSemantic1 Okay know it all, please give me your credentials and experience in this matter! Like I stated 5 months ago I MADE MY LIVING DOING THIS and have dealt with more tire issues than you and 20 other know it alls like you put together! I've worked for Force, Kalitta, McClanathen, Prudhome, and a few others in my career and I speak with EXPERIENCE! What is yours? Stick to being a typical know it all fan why don't you!
@AntiSemantic1 For your information the sensing eye in the block had a carbon fiber housing/body to help make it light so in the event of being hit by a car at speed it does as little damage as possible. In the event it is hit it is very hard to dislodge the sensor from the block, in other words they don't just pull out. NHRA and bob brockmeyer of chrondeck (who sets the stuff up and is a designer of the timing systems) keep extra blocks ready to go just for these such incidents.
As I explained about the chassis, if this had been a condition "N" tubing chassis instead of a heat treated chassis this most likely would have never happened. NHRA has let Murf McKinney bullshit them into believing that a heat treated (hardened) backhalf on dragsters and footbox area tubing on funny cars is better and that could not be further from the truth! There is ZERO memory and flex in hardened pipe and once it does bend it is broke. Anymore lessons needed, mr.know it all?
@cfaulc you are right about all of it my dad works at pacific raceways and we put those out theres no way that the would blow a tire out mabey break the body of the car but thats about it
I agree. Ford racing explained the extreme vibrations that caused the tire to come apart in a pretty informative video they put out a year or two after the Dallas wreck. Pretty sure they were very involved in the newer, safer funny car chassis that came out after the wreck.....or maybe I don't know what I'm talking about either?
those of us on these race crews have info that fans do not have access to. the car actualy broke before the cone hit the car. when he lifted off the gas the final chromolly tubes broke in half. something else fans dont know is during the richmond test and tune, all but one frame rail broke on robert hights car. he was seconds from another wreck like Johns. there was a big meeting all of us attended in pamona that year where JFR and the NHRA told us about their findings.
I do agree that the timing blocks should be replaced with something else but in this situation there are two things that tell me it was not associated with this incident.
1. If you watch frame by frame the left rear of the car drops first which would not be physically possible had it been a result of the timing block
2. John speaks his mind if he felt in any way that the block was responsible it would be well known
The slow motion footage clearly shows the timing block flying across the lane behind John's car. I'm certain that it never made contact with the left tire, how on earth could it?? The tire burst well after the cone flew across. Something else caused the tire to desintegate.
@ronh1936 the tires on these cars can withstand 10,000lbs of torque and you think a foam box could puncture it? go throw a spunge under a truck and tell me what happens....
I totally agree with you. I noticed the blocks the first time I saw the wreck on another clip. There is no doubt in my mind about this. Too much of a coincidence that something happens to the tire a split second after the block shoots that direction.
I don't believe we can resolve this with 100% certainty, but I don't believe it was the left tire sibce the car veered sharply to the right, indicating that the left tire still had traction.
Also note that when the box flew over there, debris flew from Force's car at the right, and after the car started its right turn, the left rear of the body was still pretty much intact.
One of the ESPN announcers - live comment as it happened - thought it was the right rear.
the boxs are made from foam. so no chance that anyone could be killed by them. other materials such as metal or plastic would be too dangerous. objects that shatter easily are more likely to puncture a slick and cause a huge accient on the raceway.
It was proved that the timing block had nothing to do with why the car broke apart, it never hit the tire that caused the accident. the left rear slick suffered horrible vibration of some sort and that is what caused the car to break apart. and you are right it is supposed to break apart but the drivers compartment is supposed to stay intact in a situation like this
I disagree with anyone vehemently that the timing box had nothing to do with it. I have looked at many clips from, and I concluded that the timing box flew into the right rear fender well behind the tire and with the clockwise rotation of the wheel was dragged all the way above the tire shredding it.
I have never heard or seen vibration tearing apart a tire as this incident.
Boxes are still flying, so far luckily mostly by the trailing car.
@ronh1936 The tire came apart because of the body being shredded by the vibration of the car. This is almost the same thing that caused Eric Medlens deadly accident, the vibration of the car caused the body to crack and shred. If the timing block was the reason for the accident it would have to have been the right rear tire that gave but the left rear is the one that caused the accident
@ronh1936 i work on these cars for a living. Johns car broke apart in the middle near the rear engine mount plates. he was running heat treated chassis, and they would weld on it when it cracked and not heat treat it again. if you do not re-treat chromolly after you weld on it, it becomes brittle and will break. had nothing to do with that stupid cone, it was poor maintance. it happened to Erics car too in the same spot. heat treating is now against the rules because of those two wrecks.
Well actually, this may sound crazy but the car is suppose to break apart at a hard impact.....it dissapates energy but with John's accident I think it broke at the wrong place.
But I do agree with you they do need to either move the timing blocks or make them outta some sorta Fiber Optics along the walls.....because Im sure it could be done.
@3fan4eva The problem with the Force car was that the cage did not extend far enough to prevent injuries to feet and hands, even though arms are restrained from thrashing about. I think they have improved on the cage design.
@ronh1936 did you even see the back end of the car after the car the timing box is a foam it had nothing to do with the accident if your lefy rear wheel suffers sever vibrations like johns did your car would shoot right the cone had nothing to do with it i was at that race when it happend so first hand account has much more proof than you watching videos i work on a race car
@savagemosher92 I think everyone is under the impression that since the block did not hit the left rear wheel that therefore it could not have been the timing block. For god's sakes, have you guys been eating paint chips? I drag race, only a low nine second car but I'll ya what, when something happens it almost always causes a chain reaction. It's very clear, the block shot under forces car, yes, it did not directly hit the left rear wheel but I'm here to tell you, that block can break a body
if that little block being shot after hitting a car doing near 300 miles an hour can smash a big hole into the body of a car that can withstand the force of 300 mph + winds and small debris on the track but will recieve a big hole from that timing block, trust me, it can break a tire. the right tire did not break, it could have very well been shot over to the left by the righ. Just because the right didn't blow does not mean the block didn't cause the left to blow. it was a chain reaction.period
To the poster of the video STFU you don't know what you're talking about.
VGMurders 2 weeks ago
looks to me like the block hit his rear quarter and blew the body apart,the tire probably blew when he hit the wall
regbird1 1 month ago
@regbird1 a block is made of rubber I don't think a foam piece of rubber can blow a funny car body apart
JimmyEganDavis13 3 weeks ago
Part of the cure is K wall all the way down. Then you place the boxes, etc in /on the K wall. It's only concrete. You drill a few holes.
IExposeMormonism 2 months ago
The tire was coming apart before the timing block ever came close to Force's car. Look at about the 27 second mark. Right above the spoiler you see a black strip of something flexible flying up, followed by blue smoke out of the back of the car. You can clearly see the timing block at least a foot away from the car. If the LR tire blew, the RR would instantly have more traction, causing the car to veer to the right. Malfunction of the tire, followed by chassis malfunction. Not NHRA's fault.
jmerre47 2 months ago
Your "deadly" timing blocks don't seem to damage any of the cars in the video. The video also shows the block going behind Force's car into the guardwall. Other videos of that incident show the timing blocks sitting on the track after the crash.
tomp64 2 months ago
NHRA Drag Racing has become very boring to say the least. Lets see some more freak accidents and deaths just to "spice" things up a tittle...And I don't mean the Force family running around with their "reality shows"!!!
phambo101 3 months ago
it is apairent the timeing box blew john forces tires out, these timeing boxes should not be on the race track indangering the public and the drivers, funny cars are very hard to drive let alone haveing a box on the track,, thay say its a automatic disqullifacation for hiting a box why the hell are the boxes needed anyways? what ever happent to old fashion drag racing,NHRA ever hear of wrongful death we know these boxes are dangerous i sugest you remove them soon.....!
david1513 4 months ago
dude its pretty much impossible for that to happen i mean its not even density foam
FunnyCar744 4 months ago
you sir are a dumbass
tchandler80 4 months ago
It was the broken fragments of Kenny's carbon fiber body that cut the tire. Watch close, the left front of the body breaks apart into pieces, which cut John's tire. Also, you claim negligence...what do you propose they put on the track to break the beams into different lanes. Short of having a wall down the entire center of the track, the blocks are the best option i know of.
FSTORNG 5 months ago
I work at one of the tracks shown in this video. The timing blocks are foam cubes that weight less than one pound each and will compress to about a inch thick if you stand on them. If you really think that will cause any amount of damage, well, there's a reason you aren't in the motorsports business.
Tromoly4130 5 months ago
these post sound like a sewing circle. dont run with scissors ladys you might hurt yourselves.
Tarten46 5 months ago
The timing blocks are made of foam!! Has foam ever killed anyone?! I think not!
TxT2LMAN 6 months ago
@TxT2LMAN What's inside the foam block Poindexter? That's right! A METAL infra-red sensor!
AntiSemantic1 5 months ago
@AntiSemantic1 There are no infrared sensors in the block. The sensors are positioned outside the guardrails. The blocks are made of low density foam and have a countersuck plastic reflector inside...like the ones that you stick on the side of a trailer or bicycle. The blocks are glued down with silicone sealer and weigh no more than about 4 oz. each. I work at NortStar Dragway and work three nights a week for the last 8 years with the very same system used at Ennis.
MrFrontenginedragste 3 months ago
@MrFrontenginedragste Thank for clearing that up!
AntiSemantic1 3 months ago
What's with Defending this Timing Block Thing?? Its not just the john thing Either,..Listen and Pay Attention to the Original Author's Thoughts and Statements! I Love NHRA but they can Do Better, Thats a Given,...
bongnbud 6 months ago
Wow! So many accident investigators analyzing this video. I'm no expert in the matter, but you can clearly see the blocks go behind the car. I'm sorry if this upsets those of you who feel like they have a P.H.D in investigating car accidents. The reason NHRA has'nt done any changes is because there is no issue to change. Race cars have been hitting timing blocks for many years. If racers felt unsafe with timing blocks on the track, they would make it an issue.
dcving66 8 months ago 2
I beleive in australia we now use foam instead of plastic for our timing boxes
kirbitthefrog 10 months ago
F Y I, I retired from this business and at one time worked for JFR and I must say you are like most fans that have absolutly NO CLUE what you are talking about! Those timing blocks are FOAM RUBBER and at one time were stirofoam and in no way can or will puncture a tire. Medlen, Force, and Hights chassis failures were due to harmonics, heat teated tubing failure, and possibly missed or poor maintanence. Stick to being a fan and leave it to us professionals why don't you!
cfaulc 10 months ago 15
@cfaulc The infrared sensor in the block is metal and can cut a tire at that speed tool! Stop drinking the NHRA kool-aid!
AntiSemantic1 5 months ago
@AntiSemantic1 Okay know it all, please give me your credentials and experience in this matter! Like I stated 5 months ago I MADE MY LIVING DOING THIS and have dealt with more tire issues than you and 20 other know it alls like you put together! I've worked for Force, Kalitta, McClanathen, Prudhome, and a few others in my career and I speak with EXPERIENCE! What is yours? Stick to being a typical know it all fan why don't you!
cfaulc 5 months ago
@AntiSemantic1 For your information the sensing eye in the block had a carbon fiber housing/body to help make it light so in the event of being hit by a car at speed it does as little damage as possible. In the event it is hit it is very hard to dislodge the sensor from the block, in other words they don't just pull out. NHRA and bob brockmeyer of chrondeck (who sets the stuff up and is a designer of the timing systems) keep extra blocks ready to go just for these such incidents.
cfaulc 5 months ago
As I explained about the chassis, if this had been a condition "N" tubing chassis instead of a heat treated chassis this most likely would have never happened. NHRA has let Murf McKinney bullshit them into believing that a heat treated (hardened) backhalf on dragsters and footbox area tubing on funny cars is better and that could not be further from the truth! There is ZERO memory and flex in hardened pipe and once it does bend it is broke. Anymore lessons needed, mr.know it all?
cfaulc 5 months ago
@cfaulc you are right about all of it my dad works at pacific raceways and we put those out theres no way that the would blow a tire out mabey break the body of the car but thats about it
aud6875 3 months ago
@cfaulc
I agree. Ford racing explained the extreme vibrations that caused the tire to come apart in a pretty informative video they put out a year or two after the Dallas wreck. Pretty sure they were very involved in the newer, safer funny car chassis that came out after the wreck.....or maybe I don't know what I'm talking about either?
TheMoezilla 1 month ago
those of us on these race crews have info that fans do not have access to. the car actualy broke before the cone hit the car. when he lifted off the gas the final chromolly tubes broke in half. something else fans dont know is during the richmond test and tune, all but one frame rail broke on robert hights car. he was seconds from another wreck like Johns. there was a big meeting all of us attended in pamona that year where JFR and the NHRA told us about their findings.
akulaknight 1 year ago
'How did you die?"
'I died from a small plastic box'
'Fuckin...'
matt91gee 1 year ago
the timing blocks ARE MADE OF FOAM and 1. it missed the car completely 2. one of those blocks would not cut a slick (i have held and torn them apart)
Wambonater 1 year ago
@Wambonater HE DOSENT JUST HIT 1 HE HIT 3
sharp700qz 6 months ago
You are a moron if you think the timing blocks are that big of issue....
VanOstenMotorsports 1 year ago
they need safer barriers
C0LL1N 1 year ago
I do agree that the timing blocks should be replaced with something else but in this situation there are two things that tell me it was not associated with this incident.
1. If you watch frame by frame the left rear of the car drops first which would not be physically possible had it been a result of the timing block
2. John speaks his mind if he felt in any way that the block was responsible it would be well known
ihateyoujeffy 1 year ago
wow! at the 2.45 second mark you can see Johns feet and legs in the air.
bobthedistroyer 1 year ago
The slow motion footage clearly shows the timing block flying across the lane behind John's car. I'm certain that it never made contact with the left tire, how on earth could it?? The tire burst well after the cone flew across. Something else caused the tire to desintegate.
oilpride 1 year ago
@oilpride The right rear tire.
ronh1936 10 months ago
@ronh1936 the tires on these cars can withstand 10,000lbs of torque and you think a foam box could puncture it? go throw a spunge under a truck and tell me what happens....
lerroc 2 months ago
@ronh1936 LEFT TIRE!!!
charles81265 2 months ago
I totally agree with you. I noticed the blocks the first time I saw the wreck on another clip. There is no doubt in my mind about this. Too much of a coincidence that something happens to the tire a split second after the block shoots that direction.
morematurethanu 1 year ago
I don't believe we can resolve this with 100% certainty, but I don't believe it was the left tire sibce the car veered sharply to the right, indicating that the left tire still had traction.
Also note that when the box flew over there, debris flew from Force's car at the right, and after the car started its right turn, the left rear of the body was still pretty much intact.
One of the ESPN announcers - live comment as it happened - thought it was the right rear.
ronh1936 1 year ago
the boxs are made from foam. so no chance that anyone could be killed by them. other materials such as metal or plastic would be too dangerous. objects that shatter easily are more likely to puncture a slick and cause a huge accient on the raceway.
forces car was not torn up by a foam block.
APLMASCR1 1 year ago
It was proved that the timing block had nothing to do with why the car broke apart, it never hit the tire that caused the accident. the left rear slick suffered horrible vibration of some sort and that is what caused the car to break apart. and you are right it is supposed to break apart but the drivers compartment is supposed to stay intact in a situation like this
dragracer89 1 year ago
I disagree with anyone vehemently that the timing box had nothing to do with it. I have looked at many clips from, and I concluded that the timing box flew into the right rear fender well behind the tire and with the clockwise rotation of the wheel was dragged all the way above the tire shredding it.
I have never heard or seen vibration tearing apart a tire as this incident.
Boxes are still flying, so far luckily mostly by the trailing car.
ronh1936 1 year ago
@ronh1936 The tire came apart because of the body being shredded by the vibration of the car. This is almost the same thing that caused Eric Medlens deadly accident, the vibration of the car caused the body to crack and shred. If the timing block was the reason for the accident it would have to have been the right rear tire that gave but the left rear is the one that caused the accident
dragracer89 1 year ago
@ronh1936 i work on these cars for a living. Johns car broke apart in the middle near the rear engine mount plates. he was running heat treated chassis, and they would weld on it when it cracked and not heat treat it again. if you do not re-treat chromolly after you weld on it, it becomes brittle and will break. had nothing to do with that stupid cone, it was poor maintance. it happened to Erics car too in the same spot. heat treating is now against the rules because of those two wrecks.
akulaknight 1 year ago
Well actually, this may sound crazy but the car is suppose to break apart at a hard impact.....it dissapates energy but with John's accident I think it broke at the wrong place.
But I do agree with you they do need to either move the timing blocks or make them outta some sorta Fiber Optics along the walls.....because Im sure it could be done.
3fan4eva 2 years ago
@3fan4eva The problem with the Force car was that the cage did not extend far enough to prevent injuries to feet and hands, even though arms are restrained from thrashing about. I think they have improved on the cage design.
ronh1936 1 year ago
@ronh1936 did you even see the back end of the car after the car the timing box is a foam it had nothing to do with the accident if your lefy rear wheel suffers sever vibrations like johns did your car would shoot right the cone had nothing to do with it i was at that race when it happend so first hand account has much more proof than you watching videos i work on a race car
savagemosher92 8 months ago
@savagemosher92 I think everyone is under the impression that since the block did not hit the left rear wheel that therefore it could not have been the timing block. For god's sakes, have you guys been eating paint chips? I drag race, only a low nine second car but I'll ya what, when something happens it almost always causes a chain reaction. It's very clear, the block shot under forces car, yes, it did not directly hit the left rear wheel but I'm here to tell you, that block can break a body
jaded16340 6 months ago
if that little block being shot after hitting a car doing near 300 miles an hour can smash a big hole into the body of a car that can withstand the force of 300 mph + winds and small debris on the track but will recieve a big hole from that timing block, trust me, it can break a tire. the right tire did not break, it could have very well been shot over to the left by the righ. Just because the right didn't blow does not mean the block didn't cause the left to blow. it was a chain reaction.period
jaded16340 6 months ago
@ronh1936 therefore its his own fualt that he got injured nothing to do with kenny or NHRA
Narutofan1000k 5 months ago