before the 2014 GNRS when readying the cars for the show and set up, the turned this one on, and like a rocket it took off, and huh, any idiot can tell you to have an easy access emergency cut off... but not this guy. He wanted his in the trunk. IN THE EFFING TRUNK. That, is felony stupid.
So this took off like a rocket, and there was nothing but the building supports to stop it from running over more people, as it ran over one in the space of 30 feet.
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Sensationalist commentary. You have no idea what happened, it was over in 4 seconds. What good would an emergency cut off switch done?
ReplyDeleteI have more than an idea what happened... it was well documented in all the so cal car news and local news. You'd know that if you weren't a grump. An emergency cut off, which is normally found on the tail panel or rear bumper, is a single motion switch or lever that kills a car dead. Completely. No engine power at all the moment that switch is hit. Sure, momentum will keep it in motion, but if it's still in park, or hits something, it's a life saver, and required on a lot of drag race classes to be easy to find, easy to use, and well labeled for fast easy thoughless operation. Anyone in reach could have possibly saved this car from running over one old guy, and crashing and wrecking the car. Any emergency than can be avoided, is worth every effort. You know that
DeleteJesse, I am not a grump. The remains of the car sit 1/2 mile from where I am sitting right now. Despite all of the "well documented" reports, I would challenge you to react in time to reach the cutoff switch when a blown HEMI goes to full throttle in a nanosecond. You could even have your hand on the switch and never shut it off. Accidents happen, this was tragic, but I guarantee you, a cutoff switch would have changed nothing. If you were there, you would still be shaking your head in disbelief on how fast it happened.
ReplyDeleteyour word "despite" . Well... despite what you believe, a cut off switch in the truck, is moronic. To defeat the purpose of a cut off switch by locating it where it can not be activated, and then tell me that you challenge me to use the damn thing if properly located... shows me you're a grump. I wasn't the moron that built this car this way, and you ought to challenge him to operate the car the right way so he doesn't allow people to get run over. I'm not complicit in that event, take it up with that car owner, as you know where the car is, you probably know the guy. You are too a grump.
DeleteOh yeah, and there were throttle return springs. Another false statement. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd your description of the event then is what?
DeleteFailure of the throttle linkage caused the car to go full throttle and the incident was over 4 seconds after it started. Sadly, one of the judges was standing in front of the car when it launched. At the GNRS, if you are competing for the AMBR, you are required to drive up to a judges viewing area, turn the car off, then when instructed, start the car and pull off the judges viewing area. At the point of moving off the viewing area, the car immediately went full throttle, and the rest is captured on still photo's and commented on by armchair journalists. A sad event that never should have happened.
ReplyDeleteBTW-thanks for a very entertaining and interesting blog site. Maybe I am a little grumpy. I saw a friend lose a dream and 5 years of hard work that fateful day.
Failure of throttle linkage you say... huh... and how do throttles and carbs fail... open? Or closed? I submit that they do indeed fail closed, due to springs that are holding them closed, and only the foot of the driver providing a pressure greater than the springs (never one, only a pair) to open the butterflys on the carb. And the linkage didn't fail, according to a long list of independant reporters, it stuck. Again, throttle return springs and emergency kill switch. It's a twofer of bad design, and lack of op test... even when it's your friend, you can not lower your standards of safe build design. No kill switches in trunks, that is stupid. They must be external to the car, must be accessible in an emergency. Maybe you're a grump? Hell man, you're personally offended at what you perceive to be an attack on your friend.
DeleteHey Jesse, its your blog, you and "the long list of independent reporters" can speculate all you like. The car was removed and locked in a trailer and shipped to an insurance yard. I know what happened, and again, you would have never touched the kill switch. As with many things in life, I will leave this as, we agree to disagree.
ReplyDeleteHot Rod magazine... ever heard of them? When they report, I'll take what they say as expert testimony of something they witness and report on. You're thinking everyone else is speculating, and that we aren't as knowledgeable, or weren't there. Yeah, huh, you must be the only person alive with that opinion of your own eminent infallibility. Since you can't discuss this like a car guy, an adult, who can agree with the facts, and physics, of just how cars work... feel free to piss off. What happened to the car after it ran over that judge isn't even worth discussing, no one cares. You're very opinionated about my effectiveness in an emergency for someone that doesn't know me, hasn't got a clue about my behaviors, or inclination to get up close photos, and reactions in emergencies. Lemme set you straight on that, I've been a submariner, crewed on 2 subs, and did 3 years as a cop.... then I was safety guy for my shop in Raytheon, and did a stint as a security guard looking for bombs and weapons. Now, I expect you're thinking I'm just a fat slob who sits at a computer, and always has... nope. I was raised in the woods, hunting, fishing, trapping, and since then I haven't been eating twinkies and cheesy fries. I've had more time looking at, and observing details and what is wrong, like say, at my job as a QA, than you have at any of your last 3 tv watching marathons. So... go on, piss off, I didn't invite you over to cloud my day with your know it all attitude.
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