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Inside the rollcage...
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Following
up on our editorial....
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By Bobby Bennett, Jr. Photos by Roger Richards, Dave Kommel, www.autoimagery.com |
Editor's Note: Since we ran our editorial last month on the implementation of the NHRA's sponsor board loacted in between the stationary center track camera and the tree, Bob Cassella, a Super Stock driver injured in a crash in Atlanta, wrote us a letter. Cassella's crash also involved this new marketing device. Prior to the crash, the board was made out of aluminum and/or wood. Sources indicate that following the Commerce incident, it will now be made of foam. We thought we'd share this heartfelt letter from a FORMER Super Stock racer - Editor.
My Accident In Atlanta
My name is Bob Cassella and I was the Super Stock Driver that crashed a few Friday's ago in Atlanta at the NHRA Nationals. I first wanted to thank you for your articles regarding my accident. Your reporting is accurate and compassionate. There are a few details that I wanted to add. Just after my burnout, our pass was delayed due to a liquid on the track. The spot the NHRA folks were cleaning was in my lane (left side) on the right tire track. I didn't believe, at that time, that this was a big deal however it turned out to be the cause of the accident. After leaving the starting line, my car hit the spot and made a slight right turn. I saw I was going to miss the tree so I wasn't concerned as there was plenty of room to stop after the front wheels "landed". However, a split second later, my car made a hard left turn and I saw the wall. I woke up in an ICU and I do not remember anything else.
I have been driving this car for 9 years and have logged about 1000 passes without a single accident. Yes, I have crossed the centerline before however there was always room to stop. I now have over 6 broken ribs, a fractured skull and I had a collapsed lung. I am lucky to be alive. The primary reason I didn't die that morning is because my battery exploded when my car hit the right wall and the engine shut down. And, my friend, Wes Leopold, was there and was able to convince the paramedics I wasn't having a heart attack. Had Wes not done that, they would have tried to use shock measures that would have killed me. My car sustained extensive damage. The last estimate was over $20,000. I don't believe I can return to racing even though I loved it. Take care. Bob Cassella
This was our editorial...I thought we had learned something about obstructions on the racing surface and their relation to driver safety. After seeing the latest doo-dad in Commerce, Ga. , however, I guess we haven't learned a thing. Well, maybe something…the almighty dollar in marketing appeal is much more important than the safety of our drag racers.
I wholeheartedly support the opinions of a noted drag racing journalism legend when he says, “It's saddened and mystified me, in this litigious age, to watch "modern" (i.e., those with no knowledge of history) sanctioning officials and track operators erect huge, immovable structures such as finish-line scoreboards (RIP, Jimmy Nix) and light poles (e.g., The Strip at Las Vegas) and fireworks-launching tubes (e.g., Brandon Bernstein), plus various types of camera equipment and signage "innovations."
It makes me wonder. And, no, I'm not pointing the accusing finger, but if the shoe fits then one needs to wear it. If a sportsman racer were to hit one of these “marketing innovations” and succumb to a catastrophe, would something be done to rectify the situation? I then wonder if a professional driver were to have the same misfortune – would the powers that be inevitably make an immediate change? The bottom line, regardless of the rhetoric, is that it shouldn't be there. While I may not be pointing a finger, past logic leads me to believe that an incident involving a sportsman racer would not have nearly the influence that one involving a professional driver would have. Let's ask this question - why do we have that camera in the middle of the track anyway? Ever wonder what might happen if a dragster driver were to hit it head on and the camera were to become airborne and enter the driver's cockpit? Bet you didn't envision that scenario. Here's another thing. Have you ever witnessed one car get shut-off, the driver made to extract and jump over the guardrail while one car thunders down the track on a solo? Why do we extract that driver from the car and have him run to safety while neglecting the potential of the other driver to crash into the parked race vehicle during the course of the run? Couldn't this be just as dangerous?
In fact, I don't see anything changing when it comes to making a dollar. I understand that we need to market this sport to the highest plateau, but there has to be a limit as to how high we climb. And, to who's expense, do we climb at? Now, I'm not limiting my rant to just one sanctioning body. I'm opening it up to anyone that sees marketing and television coverage to far exceed the importance of safety to the drivers. That includes the independent track operators as well. In today's litigious society, the sanctioning bodies and major events should take note that their obligation is not only to the race fans to provide them with a quality show and to the sponsors to deliver exposure value, but also to the racers to give them a SAFE place to race. After all, isn't that why Wally Parks took racing off of the streets when he formed the NHRA? Remember, it's been said that the rulebook has been written in the blood of those that died to make it what it is. Shouldn't the marketing manuals of drag racing be written by the pens dipped in that same bloody ink? What do you think, drop us a line at Comppluseditor@aol.com .
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I'm
sure this editorial won't win me many fans, but to tell the truth
it wasn't inspired until last Saturday because of an incident that
took place in Atlanta . Up until then, I had intended to draw up
plans for a new Pro Modified style class that would allow the nitrous
and blower cars to go their separate ways. The incident, which took
place on Friday during the NHRA Southern Nationals in which a sportsman
driver ran over a marketing sign placed between the tree and the
starting line camera (in the center of the track) and then crashed,
angered me to the point that I said to heck with my previous plan.
Have
you ever noticed the centerline is narrower on the starting line
and doesn't widen until well after the tree? Why is that? Foam blocks
are one thing, but I don't see anyone making these obvious obstructions
out of foam for the safety of the driver. 