NEW BRAKE RULE IMPACTS WYATT
Mon, 2010-07-26 15:20
On July 14, the NHRA mandated that rear carbon fiber brake rotors and pads will be mandatory for Top Fuel 
Dragsters, Funny Cars, Top Alcohol Dragsters and Top Alcohol Funny Cars effective July 21, 2010 and front carbon fiber brakes will be mandatory for Funny Cars and Top Alcohol Funny Cars by Aug. 11.
The amendments to the NHRA rulebook come on the heels of the death of Mark Niver, a Top Alcohol Dragster driver, July 11 during eliminations at the NHRA Northwest Nationals in Kent, Wash. Light confirmed Niver was using steel brakes in his dragster during his fatal run.
On July 14, the NHRA mandated that rear carbon fiber brake rotors and pads will be mandatory for Top FuelDragsters, Funny Cars, Top Alcohol Dragsters and Top Alcohol Funny Cars effective July 21, 2010 and front carbon fiber brakes will be mandatory for Funny Cars and Top Alcohol Funny Cars by Aug. 11.
The amendments to the NHRA rulebook come on the heels of the death of Mark Niver, a Top Alcohol Dragster driver, July 11 during eliminations at the NHRA Northwest Nationals in Kent, Wash. Light confirmed Niver was using steel brakes in his dragster during his fatal run.
Light estimated the amended rule would not have much impact on fuel Funny Cars. However, fuel Funny Car pilot Jack Wyatt will have to change out his front steel rotors if he wants to keep racing in the NHRA after this weekend’s Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo.
“We’re still running steel brakes, but we will have to replace them before Brainerd,” Wyatt said Friday before qualifying at the Mile-High Nationals. “We run a proportioning valve on ours on the front and I know other Funny Cars do. So, we’re not using brakes real heavy in the front anyway. I’m not really against the rule, but I do not see that there was a problem with the steel brake rotors in the front with stopping the Top Fuel or Funny Cars. You take the Alcohol Funny Cars and those guys are running steel brakes in the back, and they really need carbon brakes. I’ve stopped my (fuel) Funny Car before, when the chutes came out late, using carbon brakes in the back and steel in the front. We were still able to get it stopped and we were still going a pretty good speed. We got it stopped before the sand trap at Maple Grove, which is a fairly short shut off area. The alcohol cars definitely need carbon brakes.”
Wyatt says he plans on being at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd Aug. 12-15.
Dragsters, Funny Cars, Top Alcohol Dragsters and Top Alcohol Funny Cars effective July 21, 2010 and front carbon fiber brakes will be mandatory for Funny Cars and Top Alcohol Funny Cars by Aug. 11.The amendments to the NHRA rulebook come on the heels of the death of Mark Niver, a Top Alcohol Dragster driver, July 11 during eliminations at the NHRA Northwest Nationals in Kent, Wash. Light confirmed Niver was using steel brakes in his dragster during his fatal run.
On July 14, the NHRA mandated that rear carbon fiber brake rotors and pads will be mandatory for Top Fuel
Dragsters, Funny Cars, Top Alcohol Dragsters and Top Alcohol Funny Cars effective July 21, 2010 and front carbon fiber brakes will be mandatory for Funny Cars and Top Alcohol Funny Cars by Aug. 11.The amendments to the NHRA rulebook come on the heels of the death of Mark Niver, a Top Alcohol Dragster driver, July 11 during eliminations at the NHRA Northwest Nationals in Kent, Wash. Light confirmed Niver was using steel brakes in his dragster during his fatal run.
Light estimated the amended rule would not have much impact on fuel Funny Cars. However, fuel Funny Car pilot Jack Wyatt will have to change out his front steel rotors if he wants to keep racing in the NHRA after this weekend’s Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo.
“We’re still running steel brakes, but we will have to replace them before Brainerd,” Wyatt said Friday before qualifying at the Mile-High Nationals. “We run a proportioning valve on ours on the front and I know other Funny Cars do. So, we’re not using brakes real heavy in the front anyway. I’m not really against the rule, but I do not see that there was a problem with the steel brake rotors in the front with stopping the Top Fuel or Funny Cars. You take the Alcohol Funny Cars and those guys are running steel brakes in the back, and they really need carbon brakes. I’ve stopped my (fuel) Funny Car before, when the chutes came out late, using carbon brakes in the back and steel in the front. We were still able to get it stopped and we were still going a pretty good speed. We got it stopped before the sand trap at Maple Grove, which is a fairly short shut off area. The alcohol cars definitely need carbon brakes.”
Wyatt says he plans on being at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd Aug. 12-15.
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