Drag racing Nightmare!

Fev · 09-09-2008, 12:37 PM

Nightmare at a Drag Strip - Car News

BY STEVE SPENCE
July 2005

It will likely go down in history as the most freakish, nightmarish accident in drag-racing history. One top drag-racing official with 40 years' experience told the media he'd never seen or heard of anything like it.

On the first Saturday in April, Michelle "Shelly" Howard, a 59-year-old registered nurse and mother of three who had been drag-racing for 27 years, took her Top Alcohol Dragster for a 10 p.m. practice run at Tulsa Raceway Park as part of a late-night event. Howard, the wife of a Tulsa physician, had huge experience—she'd won the Division 4 title twice and was a three-time national event winner. Top Alcohol is just one notch below drag racing's ferocious 8000-hp Top Fuel class, where these rails rip to 100 mph in less than a second and at least one has turned the quarter-mile at 335 mph in 4.4 seconds.

Howard got off to a good start, but what happened next will have drag-racing people shaking their heads in disbelief for years to come. About halfway down the quarter-mile course, the nose of her dragster got airborne, lifted straight up into what is called a "blowover wheelstand," and while continuing to roar down the track standing on its tail, turned 180 degrees and came down with tremendous force, now facing the starting line. It is likely Howard was knocked unconscious.

Although the dragster was pointed toward the start line and the wheels were spinning in that direction, the tremendous momentum continued to send it backward, toward the finish line, which it passed, astonishingly, at 115 mph with a time of 6.633 seconds. This rearward travel finally ended about 1500 feet past the finish line, with Howard unconscious and the dragster's throttle still at full tilt. Then the rear wheels sent the dragster headed back toward the start line, careening off the spectator and tower lanes as it gained speed, and crossing the line where it had started the race just seconds earlier, at perhaps 250 mph.

Adding an element of tragic, numbing shock, Howard's husband, Paul, was watching all of this, helplessly, from the stands, while their son, Brian, 36, was in the back of their chase vehicle about 125 feet behind the start line. The dragster next plunged into the chase vehicle, killing mother and son instantly. The force of this bizarre collision sent the dragster and chase vehicle 225 feet through a rear burnout wall and into an open field and stream, according to a report posted on the Internet.

Besides her husband, Shelly Howard is survived by two daughters.

rag top · 09-09-2008, 12:40 PM

Ouch - condolences to the family....

XR6_661 · 09-09-2008, 12:52 PM

Far out.....

RIP

balthazarr · 09-09-2008, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fev

...
BY STEVE SPENCE
July 2005
...

?????

RG · 09-09-2008, 01:00 PM

My god, that is tragic. What a freakish set of events.

Uncle Raggy · 09-09-2008, 01:02 PM

.....over three year old event!

Piotr · 09-09-2008, 01:06 PM

I call BS

Yellow_Festiva · 09-09-2008, 01:18 PM

If this did happen, there would have been a hand full of spectators recording this event. Is it able to be found on youtube?

XR6_661 · 09-09-2008, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

If this did happen, there would have been a hand full of spectators recording this event. Is it able to be found on youtube?

Nope.

Fev · 09-09-2008, 01:22 PM

Sorry should have said it wasnt recent. i just found it and thought... Christ! - couldnt fnid anythin on youtube when i looked though

Ando_Leigh · 09-09-2008, 01:26 PM

Just had a search on the net for it seems to be pretty legit

RIP

Uncle Raggy · 09-09-2008, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Piotr

I call BS

No BS, here you go

http://www.nhra.com/content/news.asp...=3703&zoneid=8

RG · 09-09-2008, 01:30 PM

Nothing on youtube but plenty of articles about it.
http://www.google.com.au/search?clie...=Google+Search

Ando_Leigh · 09-09-2008, 01:32 PM

Don't think there is any photos any where of it. This could be a good thing i tend to think

Fev · 09-09-2008, 03:16 PM

would have been an insane thing to see, i cant even imagine it the way its been described

Spanrz · 09-09-2008, 03:58 PM

http://www.caranddriver.com/news/car...strip_car_news

http://www.motorsport.com/news/artic...&FS=OBITUARIES

I was thinking it was the oldish sheila that was about to retire from topfuelers.
But can't remember her name, but she was about the same age, but with red hair. NHRA (biggish build sheila)

Spanrz · 09-09-2008, 06:38 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdBeb4ijRQ4

Here is the idea of it. close enuff.

poolkeeper · 09-09-2008, 06:41 PM

One of many drag racing crashes...

R0BD0G · 09-09-2008, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BA Waggn

http://www.caranddriver.com/news/car...strip_car_news

http://www.motorsport.com/news/artic...&FS=OBITUARIES

I was thinking it was the oldish sheila that was about to retire from topfuelers.
But can't remember her name, but she was about the same age, but with red hair. NHRA (biggish build sheila)

i think i bought that copy of car and driver when i was in the states. knew i heard the story befoere.. 5oth anniversary edition with a red and white GT500 on the front July 2005

Sprint347 · 09-09-2008, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Piotr

I call BS

It happened

[Tonko] · 10-09-2008, 01:05 AM

Quote:

8000-hp Top Fuel class, where these rails rip to 100 mph in less than a second and at least one has turned the quarter-mile at 335 mph in 4.4 seconds.

Holy crap thats quick!

Sucks about the crash too, but damn!

Fev · 10-09-2008, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BA Waggn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdBeb4ijRQ4

Here is the idea of it. close enuff.

"My friend Randy Parks took off his wheelie bar on the Fluke/Craftsman TFD as a test and found out it was a bad idea. "

heaps smart......

this one is even more like what happened as its described.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHcVzJxaYRM&NR=1

snakeoil · 10-09-2008, 10:49 AM

I was thinking it was the oldish sheila that was about to retire from topfuelers.
But can't remember her name, but she was about the same age, but with red hair. NHRA (biggish build sheila)
__________________
Was that Shirley Muldowney or something like that BAwagon???

MAGPIE · 10-09-2008, 11:21 AM

Did they get an ET for the second run back up to the start line

:

Fev · 10-09-2008, 11:28 AM

considering it threw the chase car over 200ft and through a wall i'd say it would have been goin mighty quick!

Spanrz · 10-09-2008, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snakeoil

I was thinking it was the oldish sheila that was about to retire from topfuelers.
But can't remember her name, but she was about the same age, but with red hair. NHRA (biggish build sheila)
__________________
Was that Shirley Muldowney or something like that BAwagon???

Yep that's her. For a second, I thought she was a redneck, as bad as John Force. But she was from around the same area as my wife. (upstate NY).
But wait, yes, Upstate Ny'ers are rednecks, believe me.
Ahahahaha.

I watched a few of these blowovers (on youtube), and it's amazing that the physiques of the cars, wind resistance, balance of the cars whilst going through mid air all do the same thing.

Just ast the cars leave the tarmac, the air catches them spins them perfectly 180 o, and they land near perfectly facing the xmas tree.
Figure that out.
I reckon if the weight was shifted foward a bit, it would change it dramatically, but then you would change your 1/4 mile times.

**Sorted** · 10-09-2008, 10:09 PM

Thats Trajic, your taking your life in your hands being the driver but for the dragstar to do a 180 and come back done the strip and kill the son at the start line - i dont know what to say RIP