Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Trying to be serious....

Why doesn't KVille have SAFR barriers? These guys are carrying significant speed (120-130 mph?) into the corners. How many of the fatal accidents have come from some contact with the wall? Would Steve King have survived a couple of years ago?

Granted, sprint cars tend to fly while stockers and Indycars just go straight into the wall, so maybe a SAFR barrier isn't an answer.

As the Sprint Car Capitol of the World, KVille carries a special title not only as a cradle of sprint car racing, but an innovator and leader in the sport. They already have committed to the best safety crew around, but the quest to provide the safest track around should never be forgotten.

Is this heaven?  
No, it's Iowa....Knoxville, Iowa.

Rick go find a fender car board and bitch over there! Better change your screen name first

Hahahahaha thats funny poop right there and maybe they can park the cars over by Caseys and they can bring the cars across Hwy 14 like frogger and maybe they should race at 2:30 in the afternoon on Tuesdays lol

Well sed!

A Bad Day Of Sprint Car Racing Is 10 Times Better Than 
A Good Day At Work!

First, I would like to apologize for trying to make a constructive reply to the safty barrier post.

Second, apologize to BILL W for my Tyler Walker out burst, another story for another day.

Third, apologize to rj5150 for being a DUMB-ASS!

Forth, apologize to outlawracelvr2 for being a DUMB-ASS.

Fith, apologize to outlawracelvr5150 for being a computer geek, thats why I work 12 hours a day at my wood finishing shop filthy from head to tow, becouse I'm a computer geek.

Finaly I would like to say there are some very constructive people on here.

I will NEVER POST on here again, to destructive.

A Bad Day Of Sprint Car Racing Is 10 Times Better Than 
A Good Day At Work!

34 raceways runs 305's as a regular class

LETS RACE BOYS

Has there been any research on "safer" barriers with Open wheel cars? Indy cars even? Who's to say it isn't more dangerous? We had this discussion a couple years back. Not much translates from the heavy sleds to the open wheel cars...

As for the Harris Clash getting 2000 fans in the stands...that is a pipe dream and would definitely be a first, but I am all for it!

If this post isn't results, stories or something c
constructive, it isn't me! 
@BillWMedia
www.OpenWheel101.com

I believe that Tony George funded the U of Neb research and developed the SAFER barriers for Indy cars, which were later refined for stock cars after Dale Sr died. Maybe IBRacin knows more on the subject.

I do believe that Knoxville is on the forefront of driver safety and I also believe that more can be done. The only reason that something better couldn't be developed to adapt the SAFER concept to half mile dirt tracks is money. As much as everyone wants to think otherwise, I don't see Knoxville rolling in unlimited funds to be the only one to finance research.

The most realistic solution would be for one or two of the major auto racing insurers to underwrite the R&D for future implementation.

And I would take any bet for any amount that the modifieds will put more than 2000 people in the Knoxville grandstands on a Tuesday night. Mods draw very few people that aren't associated with a car....it's the whole concept of IMCA racing!

Ask Vitor Meira - he center-punched the safer barrier at 220 + mph; while he suffered some broken vertebrae, he's alive today...probably because of the safer barrier at Indy.....this crash would likely have killed him without the safer barriers....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZl4oTta7Gk

Chuck.....

...and how high would be high enough for sprint cars? They fly over 12 foot fences...

If this post isn't results, stories or something c
constructive, it isn't me! 
@BillWMedia
www.OpenWheel101.com

You could stack soft walls on top of each other lol

Back to the question of safer barriers.Are Soft walls an option for local dirt tracks,I know it would be costly but if it would help the drivers,I bet the insurance companies would help them out.

we all know that sprint car racing has it's elements of danger and drivers and teams and even spectators realize that. still while spectators realize it, steps are taken to protect them. now what about people who may have nothing to do with the racing? if you have parts flying out of the facility into the public areas, that is a problem that will not be tolerated very much in this day and age, even in a small racing town like k-ville. i do not have the answers and it is not my job to have them. it is the job of those in charge of the facility to provide a safe expierience for the paying fans as well as to make sure no danger is brought to the non racing public. when you have race cars going 130+ mph right next to a public sidewalk............

to simply say "racing is dangerous" is not going to go over very well to the parent who has their young child killed from flying parts while walking to the store. most tracks do not have a public sidewalk and street located at the end of their main straightaway, separated by a fence. no matter how strong or tall the fence is. we know parts fly off cars. they usually fly out one end or the other of the track as that is the direction their momentum usually takes them. if the public is ok with parts landing on their sidewalks and streets and in their parking lots, then nothing will have to be done. but when property damage or physical harm becomes an issue, things change. as i said, the only reason this has not caused any more problems is because we are talking about knoxville iowa. in another place, the track could possibly be sued or maybe closed for being a public nusance at the least and a danger to the public. those are just my thoughts. lets face it, no one is going to do anything untill some disaster happens. then what will they do?

to indy and beyond!!

Fremont Speedway in Ohio has had soft walls for several years now. Something that the late Jim Ford, past promoter at Fremont, implemented. The ones used at Fremont are large styro-foam blocks. roughly 4 or five foot square by about 8 feet long? guessing on those measurements but thats close. They have them on both ends of the track through the turns. And they are relatively inexpensive as compared to some other forms out there. They used to be $100 each I think, they are probably more now. Not sure.

They make a bit of a mess when hit hard, but man do they save, not only injury, but equipment as well. Ask any car owner that runs Fremont how much they are worth, let alone the driver safety factor.

Now Fremont's layout is a bit different than say K-ville or Eldora etc.. where the track banking runs right up to the wall. You actually have a top rim that then goes back downhill towards the wall in the turns at Fremont.

I have often thought that these simple blocks could be adapted to tracks such as K-ville and Eldora and the like by covering them in some way. At least by placing some sort of a plastic type of protector where wheel contact would be made.

As far as how high would you need them? Don't most of the life taking crashes involve a direct hit to the wall where it is very solid? Not all, but most? If so, one height of such a block would help in that area, but you could stack them as well. And advertising can be placed right on the blocks just like plywood signage.

Losing 4 to 5 feet through the outside of the turns would not kill the racing, would it? These can be implimented without moving the existing walls if the 4 to 5 foot isn't an issue.

Only concern I would have is to make sure that they are treated with something as far as a fire retardant or covered in a way to prevent exposure to fire. Not sure if they all ready are, but have never seen one catch fire at Fremont.

The cost probably wouldnt be a problem for the bigger tracks like Eldora or Knoxville....at one point Fremont was even putting sponsers on the soft walls

When Stewart had his sirius radio show, he said that he looked into the safr barriers for Eldora, but found it to be impractical for dirt use. I would assume this to be due to the level of the dirt at the wall constantly changing throughout the year, and the inevitable dirt that would get piled behind, and into it from the flying marbles would hinder its ability to give as designed.

They said at Fremont this year, that the blocks cost 300-400 bucks a piece. There was one serious injury in a 305 sprint, and the loss of Jim Deel....the blocks came shortly after.

All I know is that the blocks at Fremont have saved untold injuries and repairs.

I've seen sprint cars push off and finish a race that would have required a new fuel tank shell, rear end, wheels, etc... if the blocks hadn't been there.

I still think that technology, with some modifications/additions, could be used at such places as the big E.

Thanks Kamshaft..... paging Knoxville Raceway. Please look into it if it hasn't been already.

Eric Arnold
Social Media Manager & Track Historian
Knoxville Raceway