posted by Rob Keller:
Taking 320' less acceleration & putting it toward stopping is not going to resolve a thing .

I think that you're wrong. Had that pass been just to 1000', Scott would have deployed the chute and shut off the fuel before the car had reached the spot that his engine exploded. Had that been the situation, he would have probably stopped long before the concrete wall, or pole to support the catch net, whichever be the case.

We don't know if he was unconscious, or if he had no brakes.

This is the exact reason why I state "crap happens". No one knows at what footage an engine will blow, or a driver is going to loose control, and cross the center line, or hit the wall.

I am not "closed minded". Crap can happen at any point between the start and finish lines, no matter how long the distance is in between.

posted by carsavvycook: Crap can happen at any point between the start and finish lines, no matter how long the distance is in between.

It was said by tuners and owner/drivers, that they tune thier cars to run 1000', and just hope that it can make the last 320' against the mandated rev-limiter, required by NHRA. As you know, a fuel engine will eat itself up when run up against a rev-limiter, thus the explosions, after 1000'. If everything is shut down, and the chute deployed at 1000', it should be a clean pass, with no explosion.

A very close friend of mine, Randy Walls, had his Nitro Funny Car catch fire last November, and it burned down @ the 330 foot mark. I have also seen a tire go down, from picking up debree on the track, causing the driver to loose control. "Crap can happen at any point between the start and finish lines, no matter how long the distance is in between."