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

The crash of Sheldon Haud. showed the value of the tethers.  His car fliped about 7 times and it looked like axel was broken in half but the tethers held it in place.

what happened in the stands by the way?

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The video is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m__Xl4LzeHg   About the 14 second mark.

Its true, the tethers do a great job of keeping the front axle and wheels close to the car (and remove the danger of them flying off).

But the scary part is from the drivers point of view.  With that design, the wheels and axle is smashing around the car, totally out of control.  In fact, at the end of that crash, the car lands on the front axle that is sticking straight up and it "stabs" into the car.  If the car landed on its side on top of that, the outcome would have been horrible.  Sooner or later, that design is going to be responsible for a hurt a driver.

A lot more thought and development needs to go into that tethering system.

I agree, they looked like they stretched but did not break. I am curious if these were the type that attached to the axle or the type that go on the kingpin? Also what brand?

I think it was just a drunk woman acting,.... drunk. Not related to the wreck. 

Keep It Real

I agree with this side of the issue too. Seems like if they are flipping and have momentum they stay away but those last few tumbles they are like nunchucks that could do some serious damage.....not really sure what the answer is here. First thought is taller fences but i doubt that is possible...They worked in this crash but the next one they could be a big problem.....

I never liked the idea of them, because of the greater chance of injury to the driver.. Plus it is still not gonna stop a wheel from flying off should the hub break or axle break outside the tether location..

I think having the tethers on caused Sheldon to flip more than he would have without them. From the radiator forward the frame was broke off but was still intact to the rest of the car by the tethers. the force of the broken part of the frame swinging down caused the rest of the car to keep moving in the same rotation and keep flipping. To me it's just as dangerous with them as it is without them. 

Been going to sprint races for 35 years.  That was one of the craziest flips I've ever seen, and I was holding my breath until I saw him jump out.  Agree the tethers probably solve one problem but likely have potentially created another.  Hopefully we figure out something else before a driver gets impaled on a broken piece of tubing, axle, etc.

I was told a dirt clod went into the stands and hit some guy in the balls...

They still have wing trees, sliders and posts located inches from the drivers head and fuel pumps between their legs, yet teathers are still the topic of debate?

do it in the dirt

I think the concern is something was made mandatory that could put the driver at more risk than he already is.  I noticed some cars had tethers that attached via the radius rod bolts instead of wrapping around the radius rod upright and clamping to the axle.  I'm sure that allows quicker axle changes but it also assumes the radius rod bolts aren't going to break.  I guess they don't very often.  Some also had a tether from king pin to king pin.  That looks like a good addition to keep the axle ends from swinging independently if it breaks.  From the stands it didn't appear that Sheldon's car had that one.  If they're going to make the two on the sides mandatory I think they should have all three.  

I know this for sure, without the tether we could be discussing a huge tragedy in the grandstands instead....

Sheldon's accident was reminiscent of another @ Knoxville just last season that sent an axle over the front stretch fence (and another a few years ago that send the front end of a car over highway 14 and landed atop a car in the Dingus parking lot).

Are the tethers perfect?  No.  Is it better than doing nothing?  Yes

when you say the axle "stabs" into the car, if you look close i don't believe that happened. yes on first look it might seem like that but when i really looked at it the vid it seemed the axle was pushed off to the sid as the car came down and did not stab through the car. just my thoughts from watching the vid.

i do agree that the danger of something stabbing into or smacking the cock pit and contacting the driver is a real possibility.

to indy and beyond!!