Doug Kerhulas' last drag race-National Trail 1984

Kerhulas' meeting with the NHRA's ill conceived aircraft style arresting nets caused a closed head injury which ended his career. As Kerhulas' head was thrust forward from the quick slowdown the metal cables from the top of the net rebounded and hit him in the helmet at a very high speed.

He was a second round winner in the race.

This was Doug's last race as noted in National Dragster Magazine, cutting short a rising career. He recovered fully from his injuries.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• NHRA
• crash
• national
• trail
• dragway
• Kerhulas
• top
• fuel
• dragster

[winlightministries]

This video truly reveals the need for change to the netting system being used in the sport of drag racing. Considering the fact that this was 1984 and very little, if anything has changed in the area of the sand pit and nets. This video is also interesting to watch in the light of the accident that claimed Mark Niver's life just last weekend. It's time for some serious change!

[acidblister]

I offered up the idea of a water dampening speed suppression system. Reuseable, configurable, taking up little space, able to slow a car over 100 ft, not the sand launch pad. Surviveable negative G's........I got.......silence.

[Polybun]

@acidblister as you should. Ask eddie hill about doing 280mph on water. His eyes were ripped from their sockets.

[acidblister]

@Polybun this is not stopping on water it's stopping using the aid of different thickness water filled and directed barriers. On water you can't change the amounts, but on land you can build whatever dampening amount you want to dial in.....smaller to larger to throttle the deceleration

[infamousjdmr]

im pretty sure those nets did better than that guardrail would of done

[acidblister]

It was short sighted, Mike Dunn faired better being in a funny car with their square frontal area, but for top fuel it made absolutely no sense. Driving into steel cables made to stop a jet fighter are not a lot different than a guard rail and in many instances worse. Note the top of it was propped up near head height for funny car. It was just a bad idea.

[TheIceman1564]

talk about change, its 2012 and my track still has no net, maybe that will change seeing as how last september my dad lost his brakes at 150mph in a 3300lbs steel car, scary to say the least, but the video goes to show how great the invention is of a 4 link suspension doesnt it? would have been way less violent if they had that technology back then.

[BikerBonno]

Those nets have to be the worst 'safety' feature in motorsport

[TheBracket1]

Well he did atleast hit the bullseye

[Shankdog626]

@Polybun Eddie Hill never went 280 mph in blown fuel hydro. His top speeds in the 80's were around 230 mph

[nfapiper1]

At 2:09 you can see his head coming out of the rollcage...that's how we lost Darrell Russell. Not to mention the nets...

[GoBigC]

Guess what? They have implemented nets like this to slow cars yet again. Had a fatality last year because of it. Warren Johnson has the right idea. Restrictor plates or MUCH longer runout areas.

[warrockbites]

The nets should stretch farther with more room to do so before the driver hits something like a steel guard rail or a brick wall...

[latham1918]

That's my cousin Doug. I'm sorry we lost touch...