Rule Question...

08stroker250

08stroker250

Spartan Racing
I remember at one time last year, there was a note at the bottom of the 2010 rules that said something along the lines of "upward facing exhaust rule beginning in 2011".

Just wondering if this was still in affect. I looked more recently and did not see anything on the rules about it. I understand that fogging the lights makes one subject for DQ, but I didn't know if we would be turned away from the starting line if we did not have an upward facing exhaust setup.

Thanks in advance!
 
I heard MBRP was, but I would have to hack my exhaust up to do it. My section passed the axle is custom made and welded, and my tip is welded on also.
 
That would really hurt the bracket's and index classes i think. If your running in SS or up not really a big deal.
 
The response I got from Randy a few weeks ago was:

We are not making it mandatory this year for a couple of reason , we did not see as many problems last year as we have in the past because more competitors are using stacks and turn ups and also because we want the manufacturers to have product in place for competitors to purchase.
Click to expand...
 
Yea. I knew about that rule. I can spool my truck almost smoke free, so I am not too worried about that. That is also the reason I was concerned about the possibilty of an exhaust rule.....I don't really need to modify my exhaust to keep from fogging the lights.
 
Ok. But what about when your spooling or launching and some metal decides to leave engine compartment in search of freedom outside the engine compartment and into the stands? Guess I would be more concerned about killing someone in the stands than grabbing a DQ for fogging out lights.
 
Uh yeah every track I have ran at has a wall on the outside of the lanes at the beams. I would say it would be pretty hard for "metal to fly out a stock exhaust to the stands".

Uhh besides you guys have not enforced any such rule in past events are you doing so this year?
 
One. A wall allows ricochet and does not protect track crew. And two. Absofriggnlutely. If you do not have exhaust pointing up you will not run. Its just that simple.
 
Lots of people were running Crandall last year with out exhaust pointing up.... Besides anything moving with enough force to travel the length of atleast 8' of tubing and hit a barricade hard enough to ricochet to hit one of the track crew with enough force to injure them is going to blow straight thru exhaust tubing.

That being said keeping the same concept in mind I would much rather it blow upward in the air with that much force. I am sure it would naver land anywhere near spectators or track crew.
 
Yeah...there were several that ran with the exhaust out. However as the sport grows and as NADM grows one could easily see the need for common sense safety measures to be inforced. Please bear in mind as the sport grows, the crowds tend to grow larger as well. This increases the possibility of failure and injury. I can speak from personal experience that parts do go from the exhaust into the stands. I have personally witnessed this on two seperate occasions and imho it could of been prevented.
This is not an attempt to derail this thread nor bash NHRDA. I believe strongly in their organization and they have a pretty damn good show. I am merely illustrating a different angle to an often overlooked rule. I know it seems petty...well...until a hunk of metal is deflected by a handrail for the front row of the bleachers nearly hitting the lady sitting in the first row in the stands in the face. - cheers
 
I never assumed you were trying to derail or bash. I was simply having a debate on the thought process of upward facing exhaust being a safety hazard. I just do not believe it is safer to have the same said piece of metal fly upward from a stack or worse a hood stack. I also have yet to find anywhere that NHRA safety requires upward exhaust on turbo cars and every one seems to go by their safety regulations for ET and speed.

Do you honestly believe a piece of metal with enough mass and force to hit some one in the stands and injure them is better off directed in upward manor? Directing it upward away from any walls or the track and able to travel much further with no obstructions seems a bit more risky to me.
 
I think eventually that some sort of a blanket will be mandated for our turbos by the NHRA similar to those used on top fuel and funny cars. Unfortunately I witnessed a blower explosion in the mid 70s (yes, I'm old) at Pacific Raceways in Kent, WA. The shrapnel hit a child and also an adult who was laid unconcious. Not a pretty sight to behold. All we can do is make our vehicles as safe as possible.

Jim
 
Honestly, yeah I do think its safer. Think about it...statistically speaking...what senerio would you lay more money that someone gets hurt. 1. Someone standing on the track firing a pistol 90 degrees up in the air or 2. Firing that same pistol into the stands?
Your getting into momentum and speed of travel of moving objects...I'm speaking on likelyhood of a person getting hit. Serious and dedicated racers that come to the events often already do this and even take it a step further and use cross bolts as an extra precautionary measure. When you tech those trucks in...you can tell they are there for business. They take a rule, consider the concequences of that much power comming apart at once, and prevent what they can...AS MUCH AS THEY CAN. Not because a book told them it HAS to be done, its because they are serious about the safety of the driver, crew, and those in the stands.
 
Oh don't get me wrong. My PS truck has a stack and has cross bolts thru the exhaust. The cross bolts I think are a very valid safety precaution. My wife is running ET and likely later running 11.90 and 12.0 index later down the line in the street truck when she gets comfortable racing. I know I am in the minority but my street truck still has the CAT and a muffler in stock location. I can't see upward facing exhaust helping to improve the participation of these classes that are aimed to get more people started in the sport. I can fully understand mandating upward exhaust and cross bolts on all 11.89 and faster classes though.
 
I get what you are saying and I deffinately do not want to deture people from getting started, esp in the ET classes. Its just nowh a days its far more easy to get higher hp numbers than the days of old. I see. A great deal more higher hp trucks today than say even 5 years ago. I think the way to go about a happy median is just a bolt on / clamp on turn up that perhaps a vendor can sell( This way they won't be sidelined altogether). I can tell you with a great amount of certainity this rule is not going away and will be teched closely with NADM.
 
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