Post by dragnews on Apr 24, 2011 9:38:30 GMT -5
As a child of the 60's I had one on my bicycle, You see them on every dragster, and any vehicle running over 150mph are by NHRA required to have one. They are called parachutes.
Described as a device used to slow the motion of an object down by creating a drag against that object. They are not a resting place for your beer in the pits, or a soft comfortable spot for your girl friend to sit on in the staging lanes. They are required on our vehicle's for one purpose. To save our lives! It's amazing at the number of racers who do not know how to pack one and never have opened one, even though they have one equipped on their race car. I understand now that most tracks are 1/8 mile, chutes are seldom used. There was a time however when chute packing was just a normal between round maintenance. Can you imagine stopping today in the quarter mile at Ardmore or, or Kennydale, or Wichita Falls without one. Thats right back in the day they were all 1/4 mile tracks, and feeling that parachute deploy was a great feeling. (Here we see Rick Carrell with the chute out at Ardmore Dragway in the early 80's)
Now when we first started running dragsters in the 60's we ran a old Army Surplus ribbon chute. Main reason we couldn't afford a real life Simpson chute. Not only did the ribbon chutes work well for stopping the car. After we would be defeated in eliminations it work great as a shade on a hot summer day. Dad and Johnnie would attach it to the fence at Green Valley, string it up over the old open trailer we had, and Shazam instant shade.
Not only will the parachute slow you down after a run . it can also be used to parallel you back to earth should you become crossed up during a run. In the old days I used the parachute as a finish line driving tool. I new if I opened the chute at different locations on the track just how much E.T. I could shrug off. I often used it when leaving first to fool the competition that I was already at the finish line, and they would let off. I also new several more racers in Texas that used these same tactics.
(Here is a photo of yours truly with the chute out)
Any racer out there who has never repacked or doesn't know how. Don't be ashamed Guyniece and I will be happy to assist you in making sure this valuable tool works properly on your race car. We can add a little baby powder to keep it from sticking to the pack and you will smell baby fresh the next time hang out your laundry (old 60's drag racing lingo).
Anyway thats about all the Chute I have for today, keep you right hand on the lever,,, count to three,,,, and duck!
.......................................See you at the drags,Rob
Described as a device used to slow the motion of an object down by creating a drag against that object. They are not a resting place for your beer in the pits, or a soft comfortable spot for your girl friend to sit on in the staging lanes. They are required on our vehicle's for one purpose. To save our lives! It's amazing at the number of racers who do not know how to pack one and never have opened one, even though they have one equipped on their race car. I understand now that most tracks are 1/8 mile, chutes are seldom used. There was a time however when chute packing was just a normal between round maintenance. Can you imagine stopping today in the quarter mile at Ardmore or, or Kennydale, or Wichita Falls without one. Thats right back in the day they were all 1/4 mile tracks, and feeling that parachute deploy was a great feeling. (Here we see Rick Carrell with the chute out at Ardmore Dragway in the early 80's)
Now when we first started running dragsters in the 60's we ran a old Army Surplus ribbon chute. Main reason we couldn't afford a real life Simpson chute. Not only did the ribbon chutes work well for stopping the car. After we would be defeated in eliminations it work great as a shade on a hot summer day. Dad and Johnnie would attach it to the fence at Green Valley, string it up over the old open trailer we had, and Shazam instant shade.
Not only will the parachute slow you down after a run . it can also be used to parallel you back to earth should you become crossed up during a run. In the old days I used the parachute as a finish line driving tool. I new if I opened the chute at different locations on the track just how much E.T. I could shrug off. I often used it when leaving first to fool the competition that I was already at the finish line, and they would let off. I also new several more racers in Texas that used these same tactics.
(Here is a photo of yours truly with the chute out)
Any racer out there who has never repacked or doesn't know how. Don't be ashamed Guyniece and I will be happy to assist you in making sure this valuable tool works properly on your race car. We can add a little baby powder to keep it from sticking to the pack and you will smell baby fresh the next time hang out your laundry (old 60's drag racing lingo).
Anyway thats about all the Chute I have for today, keep you right hand on the lever,,, count to three,,,, and duck!
.......................................See you at the drags,Rob