I've never seen anything go so wrong and turn out so well. From fully crossed up sideways to straightened out without even touching the walls. Nice Save!!
Interesting bit of engineering to be learned from the slow mo. the body mounts need to seperate with lower forces... it created quite an amount of lift on a 2400 lb dragster before finally breaking away. And Todd, amazing corrections. You and your parachutes made that look easy.
That is truly an amazing piece of driving by Todd. Those reflexes were faster than instant. And the engineers that built that. After that massive explosion, everything that gave, gave. Everything that was to remain solid, remained solid.
+Joshua Gathright No driving, he's a passenger at that speed ( over 200 mph) By the time you can react and turn the wheel the car has gone 200- 300 feet and is doing something else other than it was a second ago when you reacted. The car is completely sideways 90 degrees before the wheel even begins to turn. No human can react quick enough with the right amount of steering to actually "control" the car going that fast He felt the back of the car go to the left so he turned the wheel to the left. How far is just a guess. These cars will straighten out at that speed because the rear tires are so wide they don't tend to roll in that situation. At 300 mph it's a different story.
1:24 you can see his visor lift up then fall down at 1.37 I've seen many videos where it looks like the driver makes no effort to lock the visor in the down position. They just seem to close it, without snapping it in a locked position. If there had been a fireball/hot fluids/sparks at the time his visor was up, he could have easily have lost his eyesight.
that slo mo tells the truth here...my god all the events that took place from the time the body blew off till the car straighten back up...hats off to the driver..great job!
Just wanted to add...you watch drags and think "so what? Line her up and drive", but it is WAAAAY more than that when you start to learn what forces, skills and sheer power are involved.
I was there and those close to the fence were ready to run...I was in shock...GLAD NOTHING serious happened to Todd... being right near it was quite an eye opener...heart dropping...overall an exciting day, since Cruz Pedregon won :)
After seeing this in super slow motion, I'm ready to nominate you for driver of the year. Todd you have to stop these wrecks there are other ways to get TV face time.
The reflexes of these drivers is truly commendable. Watch the slow-mo @ 0:29... now keep watching till about 0:45 and if u look closely you'll notice the front tires are already starting to turn left to compensate.... unreal how fast these guys are trained to react. The driver ends up hitting an almost 90 degree angle and STILL steers his dragster straight and saves it from hitting the wall.
Many ignorant people say "I could do that" but those arm chair drivers truly have no idea of the huge amount of bravery it actually takes to drive a top fuel funny car.. I especially respect those brave women top fuel drivers who put there lives on the line every weekend at tracks around the country . There's absolutely no crying allowed when it comes down to "Tipping The Nitro Can"...
+PRE CBS STRATOCASTER'S I was one of those people back in my youth. Then i went to one of the summer nationals events. Omg they shake the ground, the stands shook. these cars go straight only because the drives are very good at what they do, very good. I love NHRA events but yeah I wouldn't want to try it anytime soon lol.
I agree that. Todd has really driven really great. and still kept the cars on the road and still came without getting hurt badly...Just really shook up...But Todd is a very honest person and great person...Hope he gets out while he is still enjoying life.
WHAT AN AMAZING DRIVER!!! Unbelievable reaction speed. The corrections were in milleseconds and they were PRECISE! Talk about Balls-Of-Steel! I have got to meet that guy some day.
In the slow mo, it's good, then header flames disappear. Looks like combustion is still happening though as it isn't dumping raw fuel. It blows, but the supercharger is still attached. It looks like the engine is still running. There's fuel spurting from a few places, but exhaust is still coming from the tailpipes. I'm going to guess one of the coils failed? Wish I could see the racepak data.
The body flying off is supposed to happen during an explosion. It is a safety feature designed by John Force. Without it, the driver would be trapped in the fire.
I agree with you 100%...Todd better get out while he can cause Jim has lost his mind. But even with that, Todd is one hell of a driver for the way he handled that situation. Even when the car went airborne he was still trying to drive out of it.
Solution must be found to prevent supercharger blowout, John Force has big issue with this lately..SC, engine and body still large bill even without chassis damage..big safety risk also.
As a direct result of Kalitta's death, a solution was sought to eliminate engine backfire, the cause of the spectacular engine fires often associated with Nitro burners. A solution was developed by Dave Lahey of Electromotion in Columbus, Ohio with the help of 15 time Funny Car Champion John Force, former Funny Car and Top Fuel Champion Kenny Bernstein, and seven time Top Fuel Champion Tony Schumacher: they developed a sensor that in the event of an engine backfire will automatically shut down the fuel pump and deploy the parachutes. Although several NHRA drivers have expressed their displeasure at the introduction of the new sensor, they admit that it should reduce, if not eliminate the circumstances that led to Kalitta's death. The device was made a mandatory safety requirement in 2009.
Chassis looks like it is made from jelly. It's not skill which saved the rollover; it was the pipes stopping the car from flipping! Driver even turned the wheels the wrong way at the start of the incident.
There was some DRIVING going on all thru the incident. It would have been cool to see exactly what was going on in the doghouse, but that guy was steering his ass off. What the slo-mo showed was maybe a bit of luck, but a TON of skill.
That slow-mo was horrifyingly beautiful
What a guy! St. Albert, Alberta, Canada is home to several top NHRA drag racers including Todd. Amazing driving!
the way he controlled the wheels in less than a second shows how good he is :))
I've never seen anything go so wrong and turn out so well. From fully crossed up sideways to straightened out without even touching the walls. Nice Save!!
Interesting bit of engineering to be learned from the slow mo. the body mounts need to seperate with lower forces... it created quite an amount of lift on a 2400 lb dragster before finally breaking away. And Todd, amazing corrections. You and your parachutes made that look easy.
That is truly an amazing piece of driving by Todd. Those reflexes were faster than instant. And the engineers that built that. After that massive explosion, everything that gave, gave. Everything that was to remain solid, remained solid.
+Joshua Gathright No driving, he's a passenger at that speed ( over 200 mph) By the time you can react and turn the wheel the car has gone 200- 300 feet and is doing something else other than it was a second ago when you reacted. The car is completely sideways 90 degrees before the wheel even begins to turn. No human can react quick enough with the right amount of steering to actually "control" the car going that fast He felt the back of the car go to the left so he turned the wheel to the left. How far is just a guess. These cars will straighten out at that speed because the rear tires are so wide they don't tend to roll in that situation. At 300 mph it's a different story.
All he could do was try, and that's all he did.
That's quite a bit of driving, right there. Watch the front wheels in slow-mo; perfect compensation.
It's like watching a Top Fuel Funny Car driving like a Sprint Car.
That was luck and nothing else
His reaction and handling of the situation is why both he, and the car chassis are very much intact...
Todd has around one sec to correct that car …..brilliant driving….and great safety work from the people who build these things !
My search was "How to drive a top fuel dragster" and .... I guess that pretty much sums it up. First: Be a superhero, Second: Prove it.
That's the best footage I've seen on an explosion. The slow motion was crazy!! Great camera work
Slow mo was great. That man actually drove that car through the whole thing. Great job.
Reflex speed of a mutant. Amazing wheel correction.
1:24 you can see his visor lift up then fall down at 1.37
I've seen many videos where it looks like the driver makes no effort to lock the visor in the down position. They just seem to close it, without snapping it in a locked position. If there had been a fireball/hot fluids/sparks at the time his visor was up, he could have easily have lost his eyesight.
That's an amazing drive job. Total instinct to keep the car as straight as possible
that slo mo tells the truth here...my god all the events that took place from the time the body blew off till the car straighten back up...hats off to the driver..great job!
1:40 and after I swear the superman freak is still correcting the steering. WOW
Just wanted to add...you watch drags and think "so what? Line her up and drive", but it is WAAAAY more than that when you start to learn what forces, skills and sheer power are involved.
Awesome camera work, every bit as skilled as the driver.
I was there and those close to the fence were ready to run...I was in shock...GLAD NOTHING serious happened to Todd... being right near it was quite an eye opener...heart dropping...overall an exciting day, since Cruz Pedregon won :)
Damn.......hes really good on that wheel.
Fantastic footage.....and flawless handling.
That super slo-mo cameraman deserves an award - awesome shot!
That slow motion is incredible!!
Vehicle is amazing.
Reactions are amazing.
Camera is amazing.
After seeing this in super slow motion, I'm ready to nominate you for driver of the year. Todd you have to stop these wrecks there are other ways to get TV face time.
All credit to Todd Lesenko for his reaction and handling and to the car builders.....the car took a beating but held up! Good job.
The reflexes of these drivers is truly commendable. Watch the slow-mo @ 0:29... now keep watching till about 0:45 and if u look closely you'll notice the front tires are already starting to turn left to compensate.... unreal how fast these guys are trained to react. The driver ends up hitting an almost 90 degree angle and STILL steers his dragster straight and saves it from hitting the wall.
Many ignorant people say "I could do that" but those arm chair drivers truly have no idea of the huge amount of bravery it actually takes to drive a top fuel funny car.. I especially respect those brave women top fuel drivers who put there lives on the line every weekend at tracks around the country . There's absolutely no crying allowed when it comes down to "Tipping The Nitro Can"...
+PRE CBS STRATOCASTER'S I was one of those people back in my youth. Then i went to one of the summer nationals events. Omg they shake the ground, the stands shook. these cars go straight only because the drives are very good at what they do, very good. I love NHRA events but yeah I wouldn't want to try it anytime soon lol.
Amen....
Some epic camera work right there!
DUDE the driver was making WHEEL corrections the WHOLE TIME ... WILD
I agree that. Todd has really driven really great. and still kept the cars on the road and still came without getting hurt badly...Just really shook up...But Todd is a very honest person and great person...Hope he gets out while he is still enjoying life.
Beautiful slow-mo.I think the headers kept it from flipping.Good driving,,wheel corrections.It happened in 1 100th of a second.
Todd, great reactions!! You're becoming an NHRA crash poster boy this season!! ;-)
I love slow motion.
That is some incredible driving. People never realize it's not easy to drive one of these things even if it is in a straight line.
wow really well done of the driver, in that situation. Respect!
What a great driver. Anticipating with the steering wheel.
Awesome piece of driving!
Great slow mo. Frame flex, torque, explosion, it doesn't get any better. I hope the drive was O.K.
Wow!!!!! Made Beckman's look like a kiddie ride. How he did not roll that is a miracle. Plus his visor opened up. That is one scary ride.
WHAT AN AMAZING DRIVER!!! Unbelievable reaction speed. The corrections were in milleseconds and they were PRECISE! Talk about Balls-Of-Steel! I have got to meet that guy some day.
In the slow mo, it's good, then header flames disappear. Looks like combustion is still happening though as it isn't dumping raw fuel. It blows, but the supercharger is still attached. It looks like the engine is still running. There's fuel spurting from a few places, but exhaust is still coming from the tailpipes. I'm going to guess one of the coils failed? Wish I could see the racepak data.
nice reaction time and what a ride......glad to see he pulled out of that
The body flying off is supposed to happen during an explosion. It is a safety feature designed by John Force. Without it, the driver would be trapped in the fire.
probably would've rolled if it wasn't for the headers
Holy shit. Some mad skills to control that car after the explosion. Great Slow motion.
dat control!
Nice job of recovery guy!
That was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen :)
I agree with you 100%...Todd better get out while he can cause Jim has lost his mind. But even with that, Todd is one hell of a driver for the way he handled that situation. Even when the car went airborne he was still trying to drive out of it.
One good driver!
WOW! Now that's some COOL under fire keeping that car on the track and in the lane.
that slow motion was effin Epic.
Can´t deny the experience of the driver!!
Epic footage.
Absolutely Fantastic, Great driving !!!
Great reaction and control!
SAVED BY THE EXHAUST TUBES!!! SOOO IMPRESSIVE!
great camerawork. great driving. Who won?
When the 4,000 horsepower bomb goes off, you're just along for the ride. And he walked away.
Thats some insane driving to keep it off the walls. Wow....
Looks like there was a leak around the supercharger and the vapors built up under the shell
its so crazy at regular speed dosnt look so bad but at slow motion you can see what he went through and how bad it was
(I think) the parachutes helped him straighten out. But what do I know?
that was a massive amount of btu's being unleashed ,, great save by the driver !!!!
Nice reaction..the best for sure...
Great driver skill!
that's one helluva driver damm
Super slow motion, awesome!
The bouncing of the rear tires was amazing
Holy moly!!!!!!!. What a deadly explosion that was!!.
Solution must be found to prevent supercharger blowout, John Force has big issue with this lately..SC, engine and body still large bill even without chassis damage..big safety risk also.
the one thing that played a big role is the left rear rim didn't dig in the pavement...
love the slow mo wow
Thank god for those exhaust pipes that kept his car from rolling.
That was one lucky out come!
BEST SAVE EVER!!
Thats some good steering there!
this man knows how to counter-steer
Drag racers don't get "Rattled"easily....Todd stayed cool as a cucumber and totally HUNG with it....
Balls of steel + Driving skills = BAMF save.
That could have been a lot worse if his reflexes weren't so quick.Some damn nice driving there.
That's what u call a real pro driver!!!!!!!!!
Amazing. Dude drove it all the way
Cool as a cucumber, that chap. Well done.
How did he save that from not spinning out wow he got skill
I have a very fast natural reaction but there's no way in hell I'd be THAT quick on recovering from that.
That exhaust helps it not tip over lol. Great skills though from the driver!
My friend happened to be recording this pass pretty cool...we were right above where the body landed
What do they have to release the parachutes? It must be like a dead man's handle or something?
As a direct result of Kalitta's death, a solution was sought to eliminate engine backfire, the cause of the spectacular engine fires often associated with Nitro burners. A solution was developed by Dave Lahey of Electromotion in Columbus, Ohio with the help of 15 time Funny Car Champion John Force, former Funny Car and Top Fuel Champion Kenny Bernstein, and seven time Top Fuel Champion Tony Schumacher: they developed a sensor that in the event of an engine backfire will automatically shut down the fuel pump and deploy the parachutes. Although several NHRA drivers have expressed their displeasure at the introduction of the new sensor, they admit that it should reduce, if not eliminate the circumstances that led to Kalitta's death. The device was made a mandatory safety requirement in 2009.
parachute and headers helped keep it straight ...
Those poor yellow letters on the tires got turned black on the landing. Also, I see an orange oil filter canister. Lol.
0:47 - 0:55 Rolling along on just the right front tyre
It was amazing I was there today happen right in front of my car body got pretty close gotta love it
Thats Driving baby
@1:08 it's cool watching the butterfly close on the winner's car.
Ah that would be JF
Bill Carmody oò
Chassis looks like it is made from jelly.
It's not skill which saved the rollover; it was the pipes stopping the car from flipping! Driver even turned the wheels the wrong way at the start of the incident.
There was some DRIVING going on all thru the incident. It would have been cool to see exactly what was going on in the doghouse, but that guy was steering his ass off. What the slo-mo showed was maybe a bit of luck, but a TON of skill.
Glad He`s healthy. Helluva vid
watch at 1/4 speed ! incredibly sick !!
...superb photographer... Many Thanx !! W E L L D O N E !!
Amazing
He got bars