7) Parachute - It's mandatory over 175 MPH, but it should never be considered
to take the place of a regular braking system, or that it's the primary
braking system.
Have been in the situation more than once where the 'chute didn't
deploy. Sure is nice to have some brakes for back up. Hate the idea of running
out the back door, and it's really just not fair to the rest of the racers to
take up all that extra time. The waiting / staging time is too long now.
Driving into the 'chute - Never tried this, but I know a lot of
guys do. Have always cut the motor first to get a good plug reading. Guess
it's about time to adapt my driving technique and try this maneuver so I can
evaluate if it's better or worse than what I've been doing.
8) Safety - Redundancy
LSR is about going fast, but it's also about being safe enough to race another
day. Brakes and breaking in my mind is a critical part of this concept and
deserves more attention in the rule book. You won't catch me building a car
that doesn't have four wheel disc brakes and one or two parachutes out back.
If your car was on fire how quickly would you want to get it stopped? Been in
a similar situation.being scalded.and even with four wheel brakes and a 'chute
I couldn't get out of the car quick enough.
Another thing, always use quality parts of adequate size to do the job. I've
run the 9" Pinto discs and their OK.sort of.maybe on a light vehicle.but not
really up to the task of stopping a 3,200lb. car from 200+ MPH. Don't cut
corners trying to use junkyard stuff unless it fits the application properly.
Brake rotors (or parts) made in Bangladesh (or any other such place) aren't my
favorite either. Aftermarket brakes and parts are usually of superior design
and quality for what we are doing.
9) Opinion - A properly designed four wheel braking system should be
'mandatory' on all LSR cars and two wheel brakes on all Motorcycles.
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