Speed Demon Crash footage

[roadster589]

FYI
We would never post a crash video or picture with out permission

[velocity]

Don -- understood.

What most folks are thinking, but not wanting to say is; "I'm glad he or she is alive."

It is the first thing we all go to when there is a crash. Once there is proof of life, we next hope/pray the driver is hasn't lost any body parts. And please God, no fire, no burns. We then work our way down the list: protect the head, the spine, no compound fractures, if there are broken bones, let them be small ones, not too much road rash, and so it goes.

And this goes on in our heads in fractions of seconds.

What we want is our family member, our friend, our lover, our team mate, our hero and heroine, to come through the ordeal easy enough so that they can be whole again in as short a time as possible. And sometimes getting that means no more racing and other times it means getting back in the speed machine ASAP.

The only guy I know who has crashed MULTIPLE times in excess of 400, 500 and 600 MPH and has NEVER broken a bone or bled a single drop is Craig Breedlove. That man is the lucky Buddha in all of motorsports going back to chariot racing.

[Freud]

Just don't try to roll over when the cat jumps up by your face.

FREUD

[dw230]

Slim,

I told you I would get the hero cards for you and I did. In my garage as I write this. If not delivered at WF I will request a mailing address.

You never listen to anything I say.

DW

[Seldom Seen Slim]

First of all:  Dan, I indeed did hear you say you'd get the hero cards, but I assumed (wrongly) that you didn't get them for whatever reason.  I'm sorry if it came over as if I was spanking you.  Please forgive me.  But also please get the cards to me sooner or later.  Thanks.

Now -- as to George's condition.  I've been apprised by a member of the Speed Demon crew:

(George) wanted me to contact you to ask you to post this information.
He did give permission to release the video.
He also wanted to say "The driver said there were several factors that contributed to the crash but there is only one person to blame .. the driver."

There.  That oughta settle the debate pretty well.

[tauruck]

If you watch "Something evil this way comes" at 2.57 George moves his right hand off the wheel and slightly down to the right to deploy the chute.
Also in that video Ron stated that the car does wheelspin at 380, I think.

[tallguy]

It takes a tremendous amount of driving force to push a vehicle through the air
at high speeds (say, 300+mph).  If the vehicle is wheel-driven, lack of traction
is likely to be a major problem, unless addressed adequately.  It's not easy to
do so. 

Providing a sufficient downward force--to prevent wheelspin--on the drive
wheel(s) can be done two ways--with weight, and with force induced by the
vehicle's propulsion system. 

The first way is to design and build the vehicle such that plenty of weight is on
the drive wheel(s).  If the basic weight of the vehicle isn't enough, ballast can be
added.  Adding ballast means that there is more mass to accelerate.  Generally,
this isn't a big problem if the race course is plenty long.

The second way is to add downward force to the driving wheel(s) by non-weight
methods.  An example of this is to aim the exhaust pipe(s) upward, or to have
some kind of powered "fan(s)".  I don't know whether a fan is permitted for this.
Another way that appears to be permitted is to use aerodynamics to create a
downward force on the drive wheels.  For decades, dragsters and other race
vehicles have been doing this, using "spoilers" or "wings".  These do, however,
make a vehicle less smooth, aerodynamically, for forward travel, and thus requires
power.  If there is plenty of power available, then it may not be a major issue. 
Lots of experimentation is likely to be required.   

It appears that the Carbinite LSR car has adjustable spoilers or wings between the
body and the rear wheels.  Here's the web address (you may need to copy and paste): 

http://landspeedevents.com/blog/carbinite-lsr/

[Buickguy3]

  Years ago,[I'm old] , someone proposed to add turbochargers to the exhaust of funny cars, not for extra power, but to use the air intake under the body to suck the car down to the track as the speed increased. Like a giant vacuum cleaner. Never heard if anybody tried it with any success or not.

[manta22]

Jim Hall used two XLO snowmobile engine- driven fans on one of his Can- Am cars. It was so fast that it was banned.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[tauruck]

Chaparral 2J I think.

Gordon Murray also designed a fan car (Brabham) that was banned.

I have never driven on salt or even seen Bonneville but from the video the track condition seemed to be the problem.
George has done more runs at higher speeds than most.
It takes a special guy to blame himself.

With all the speculation etc, not many guys walk away from a wreck like that.
Sad as it sounds this is a victory for many reasons.

[Freud]

We sure are doing a lot of guessing backed by a few seconds of video.

The crew has all the data and they won't have to guess.

Lets let them tell us when they are ready.

FREUD

[tallguy]

Tauruck, how is it a victory that somebody crashed, doing great damage to
the vehicle?  My definition of victory is winning some kind of competition, or
at least overcoming the obstacle(s) that might prevent one from achieving
one's goal(s). 

. . . I am reminded of people who would say the driver is lucky!!  I claim that
he had BAD luck on that day, by crashing.  I consider myself lucky.  I didn't
crash or even lose control of a car or other vehicle, tool, implement, or my
temper lately.  Maybe I'm lucky because I didn't take a risk as George Poteet
did. 

Now, I don't have anything against him.  And I'm not critical of his decision to
drive Speed Demon on that or any other day.  I wish for him all the best, and
sincerely hope that he has no heretofore undiagnosed injuries from the recent
Speed Demon crash. 

I also look forward to seeing the next Speed Demon go even faster than this
one ever did . . . safely, of course!

[zzcruzin]

We sure are doing a lot of guessing backed by a few seconds of video.

The crew has all the data and they won't have to guess.

Lets let them tell us when they are ready.

FREUD

Yep. Well said Freud.

[Stainless1]

Tall, I will assure you that LSR is a dangerous sport, and anytime a car or bike crashes and the driver/rider is not killed, maimed or critically injured it is a victory!  Luck plays a part, as does the skill of the person building the cage, the choice of what safety equipment you use and whether God thinks it is or is not your time....
 

[manta22]

Dodging a bullet or surviving a crash is a victory over the Grim Reaper.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ