The car hit a high reach or in the shut down area. If the camera vehical had not been there ....

even at 1000 ft the speeds are almost 320 mph... i agree with a lot of these cats, these tracks need to lenghten the shutdown area, and perhaps the fuel cars should go back to 85% nitro mix (i think that's what it was), but leave the 1/4 mi alone, for crying out loud... there were no problems until scott's death, and that was only because the explosion knocked him out... and now all of a sudden 1/4 mi is too dangerous? seriously? like going 310 mph at 1000 in a fuel dragster is safer than going 330+ in 1320? short term-fine, whatever. long term-do you really want to travel down that road? bring 1320 racing back, NHRA, you know you want to...

The 1320'should be restored, but there needs to be compensation for the dangers of the speeds the drivers reach. Has anyone noticed that once they raised the Nitro mix % people started dying? The volatility of the mix is just too powerful, and there is too much extra horsepower that isn't needed. Drag racing was still enjoyable before the drivers started pushing thew envelope even further. Put the fuel back the way it was, and that last 320' won't make a difference.

Keep the 1/4 mile. The change from 1320' to 1000' is insignificant at speeds over 320 MPH. At 320 MPH, you cover the last 320 Feet in only 0.68 seconds. There is nothing, I repeat, nothing- that would have prevented this tragic death, that an additional 320' nor the 0.68 of a second to traverse this distance would have made. The NHRA needs to look elsewhere. I would even vote for a 1" diameter cable run down the entire length of the track. Cars "hook up" to the cable and run. The worst crash would be a longitudinal "barrel" roll while still attached to the cable. No car could hit the barriers. No car could go into the other lane. No car could ever leave the track. Al in Rockville, MD.

First of all I send my condolences to the Kalitta family for their tragic loss. I have followed Drag racing for the last 25 years and was awestruck the first time i saw a top fueler blaze down the QUARTER MILE. It is a dangerous profession and those PROFESSIONALS know the risk they take when they choose to make their living that way. There should be more than enough money to lengthen the track or devise some other way to reduce the risk of those we love to watch. NASCAR devised safer barriers in addition to the HANS devise to reduce the risk of their drivers, and I believe that the NHRA along with their drivers, crew chiefs, engineers, etc. can do the same as opposed to CHEATING the fans and the record books. Mr. Kalitta was not the first and unfortunately will not be the last to pay the ultimate price for doing what they love. POSTED BY SHAWN Ft. Smith AR.

The NHRA needs to find a way to return to 1/4 mile racing safely. 1,000 ft. is too short for a nitro race. Lots of good ideas in the posts - remote kill switch, rake the sand, use small gravel instead of sand, aircraft style net. How about an aircraft carrier style tailhook and arresting wire?

by sofedady> i think it should b a 1/4 mil> people no the risk they take when they sit in those cars> the hole point of drag racing is to get the car go as fast as posible right.

I have been following drag racing for 30 yrs and I went to 2 events at 1000ft last year and IT SUCKED! Get back to 1320 or I'm out! Make it safe at the original distance.I'm surprised a guy like Force would lobby for the shorter distance.He has to know how the fans relate to the old ET's and not these ridiculous numbers you see now.The bottom line is these events were more exciting at 1320. I hate to say it but I have an IHRA event 2 hrs away and I will be checking it out in place of Englishtown. You can't afford to lose fans.Do what you have to do but get it back to a quarter mile.I is what I grew up whatching and anything less is actually somewhat boring
Submitted by DOUG F in connecticut

Didnt nhra learn from nascars stupidity in the oot these guys better get back to a quarter mile or Im out. I went to 3 races last year no more

please stay at a quarter mile.how can any e.t,s count for anything if you are unable to compare them like for like with decades of events.would you change the 100 metres in athletics to 80 metres?i think not.

I have boycotted the NHRA! Could not care less who wins or loses since this baby like response to a racing crash. Kalitta was dead long before he hit the wall because of the motor letting go. Run off had nothin to do with it! Get real people, when you push limits people sometimes die. That's ok.

Update the tracks,make them safer, put dragracing back to 1/4 mile, simple as that.

if drag racing isnt kept over a quarter mile whats the point......its a tragic losss but the sport will die if its shortened.....surely making run off areas longer,fence traps etc,is the sensible and practical way forward.....certainly not a concrete wall...keep it alive,dave,UK,the other side if the pond.....

Drag racing is a 1/4 mile how are you supposed to make a comeback if you leave the line a little later.

keep it a 1/4 mile

I think we all agree what a terrible loss Scott was to this great sport, but restricting the kings of motorsport to 1000ft passes is not the answer.
Not being there on the day i can't claim to be an expert on what went wrong , but surely a proper breaking area with an adequate sand trap and maybe a safety net, not a freakin concrete wall would have to a good start.The 1000ft is an easy way out ,and it's like putting an airbag on an airbag

I agree that it should definitely stay a 1/4 mile. I also agree that having a net at the end of the track would be a great idea, or at least something more fitting to stopping a vehicle, not a concrete wall!

The quarter mile should stay thats racing. I'ts a shame a life has to be lost to make change. safety always first .. My Idea at the end of the shut down area have a net like on a aircraft carrier that will stop a jet i'tl stop a drag car NOT a CONCRETEWALL DA.. thanks dennishammer87@yahoo.com

get back to quarter mile or cost the sport all weve worked for people in huge numbers are shying away from dragracing now because of this horribly thought threw dissicion.as a licensed dragster driver i want the american people to know something. alot of things happened that day wrong.BUT WITH OUT A DOUBT the biggest is this the sand trap didnt do its job why?simple NHRA failed in there responsibility to ensure saftey features of race track were properly maintained and ready for a 300mph blast in that they didnt do any maintence to the sand trap after several days of hard rain so thats why it didnt slow down scotts car or even stop it if sand trap would have been properly maintained it would have happened must less distuctive at the end. the car would have at least scrubbed off 100 mph or likely even much more. they never racked the sand or turned it over or anything thats all it would have took. hey watch the video skips it like it hit a hard dirt mound this isnt rite and its because the sand was wet and not attended to after raines. (example is just like a kitty litter box it turned into an almost solid state when saturated with that much liquid just pay attention they way your kitty litter box gets.) ive seen this so many times and even mentione it at some tracks and they look at me like quit bitching well all they had to do was stir up the sand that morning... i dont know much but i do know that!!!!j.j. williams

How can it be "pounding the 1320" if they aren't running th efull 1320.

If it is not 1/4 mile, it isn't drag racing.

Drag racing is gonna be like golf if u make it shorter keep it a 1/4 mile and it wont have to turn out that way

Drag Racing Is a Quarter Mile, PERIOD!
Santioning Bodies should do what is is the SAFEST period, but do it at 1/4 mile. John Force racing, and others are on the cutting edge of safty, and NHRA, IHRA, and all others should follow what the racers are doing, making the safty changes mandetory, and get back to 1320.
thanks
**** Bentz

go back to 1/4 mile racing please thats what its allabout i am from charlotte nc and i went to the to the carolina nationals the track would have gave out some4.40 runs in top fuel and 4.60 or a possible 4.59 in funny car ON IN A 1/4 MILE!!!!!!!!!!! dale earnhardt lost his life at daytona an nascar did not stop running 21/2 mile tracks

keep it 1320. make the shutdown area longer if you need too.

drag racing is a QUARTER MILE at a time.slow the nitro cars down, its awsome seeing 336 but then again we would LIKE TO SEE THEM AGAIN.and to all the drivers and crews and families that have taken there last pass at a QUARTER MILE godspeed to you all, they are looking down and saying keep the quarter!!!

drag racing is done on a QUARTER MILE lets keep it that way. Im all for slowing down the nitro class,its great reeing them going 336 but i also would like to see them again.TO ALL THE DRIVERS AND FAMILIES WHO HAVE GONE THAT LAST PASS GODSPEED TO YOU ALL they are looking down on the nhra and saying keep the quarter mile