Topic: For anyone planning on racing at an NHRA track.

[Sam Green Racing]

Read this and scroll down to the bottom for new rules.

http://keithfulpmotorsports.com/Header_Tethers.html

Sam.

[Bill/BentON Racing]

Guess I need 3 sets! Damn, not a fan of welding the collector to header! Oh well.

[Sam Green Racing]

It'd be a damn site cheaper Billy.

Sam.

[POPS 911]

Stoker BILL : Did the rule say ALL RACERS ?    You could make one set in 2-3 hours , buy the aircraft clamps on e-bay and the cable w/clamps at a farm supply store along with grade 5-8  flat steel meta for the strap. Wait until they make ALL run a diaper or metal tray to catch oil downs. THEN  Short day at the track with small lines in the lanes ?? On a drag bike when the rod or rods goes thru the cases and oil sprays that rear wheel you are setting on = you better be ready to dance at  120-197 MPH....... EVEN AT 77 MPH on my TURTLE this will be bad , and can end with a horrific crash. EXAMPLE : Put on all your leathers , helmet , boots, neck collar, gloves and get in the back of a pick-up truck running down the freeway at 77 MPH = now jump out , see even a slow HONDAMATIC can be a way to use all  my MEDICARE  BENEFITS in the BLINK of a eye.  Have seen the pipe blown off [ NOS explosion in pipe ] and rear wheel running over and the bike going down at a PRO-STAR race few years back.

POPS BK911

[Bill/BentON Racing]

POPS, just what I thought last night....make my own!  Thanks, Bill

[Sam Green Racing]

It has to be approved by NHRA, better of with a weld.

Sam.

[Bill/BentON Racing]

JIM....I'll be in touch...bring welder to track...make money opening weekend! .... I'll bring mine to you! ,Bill

[Don R]

I'm worried about welding the collectors on my race car causing them to crack. I'll purchase the tethers and I guess the drag bike will get welded. It's not going down the track often, if at all.

[dragracer]

As much as I think this is a waste of money for a bike with the megaphone bolted securely at the rear, its a rule we cannot get around if we have a sidewinder header. Regular exhaust systems do not have to meet this requirement.  Therefore, i'll have to comply or not race at any more NHRA tracks. NHRA says its a safety issue- so be it. My mindset is now correlating this rule with the requirement of a tether kill, gloves, boots and a leather suit by other sanctioning bodies. We spend the money to be in compliance with those rules or we stay home.

Unlike the cars, we only need one device per bike so the amount listed on his site is half of what we would spend. This device is custom made to each pipe based on your specs. In the case of Bill and myself, we have several bikes with sidewinders so the cost could add up. In my opinion, for a single bike, its just not worth the hassle of buying the pieces to make one yourself and then having to send that part to NHRA for their stamp approval. Shipping costs back and forth would eat up the difference in your material cost and labor and the price for the custom made piece.

[Bill/BentON Racing]

I agree, when in Rome..... Bill

[MRieck]

To bad you can't weld on some loops/hooks on the 2 pieces and safety wire in 2 places with .040 wire (several times if necessary).

[Sam Green Racing]

Billy, on Samauto, what clamps the megaphone to the down pipe, I can't see anything in this picture.
Is there a built in clamp on the megaphone that is out of site.

[Sam Green Racing]

Also, these people KFM that are selling these tethers are local to you.

 KEITH FULP MOTORSPORTS INC. of 600 HOPEWELL DOWNS DR, ALPHARETTA, GA 30004-2879, .

Sam.

[Sam Green Racing]

Ok, here's a picture of one of these KFM tethers fitted to a brocks sidewinder on a Busa.
I'm guessing that the megaphone has a bracket to the frame further back that we cant see.
If the back bracket breaks, the tether is relying on its own pipe clamp that is clamping the megaphone to the down pipe.
If the pipe clamp fails and becomes loose, the megaphone will slip out of it leaving the tether attached to the down pipe.

Sam.

[Bill/BentON Racing]

RC & V&H didn't use one. Easy to do. Probably go see Keith later this week, Bill

[dragracer]

This is a clearer pic of the same type device on a different bike. Both were install by my buddy Don chavous from Atlanta.

The rule only applies to sidewinder exhausts and not regular type headers.

[Don R]

I believe the rule applies to any header with a removeable collector. RJ race cars sells a weld on set that has tabs instead of the bulky clamps. The cable then goes in between the tabs.
I wasn't happy about it but my car has stainless headers and the collector springs have broken and I lost a tab once too. A collector coming off during a burnout could be dangerous as well as down track.

[POPS 911]

BIKE DRAG RACERS :  Does not a STOCK muffler clamp onto the headers pipe ? on a stock BIKE.  This will be the end of a new racer coming to the track on  bikes with a aftermarket pipe. I have SS pop rivets 1/4 inch and the tool to pop on three holes around the pipe and header = I would think that a stock pipe BUSA with NO SAFETY link and clamp could blow off just as easy [ really those pipes are bolted on very secure to avoid a court case in a accident ] as a aftermarket pipe and header. More important is a lanyard kill switch to turn the bike off if you fall OFF = DO YOU HAVE ONE ON ALL YOUR BIKES ??  Diapers will be next for all racers and the day at the track will be you running 2-3 other bikes. When Scooter made that a PRO-STAR rule many said no way, I'll stay home and race at my local track. I do remember when the talked about SEAT BELT for the bike class = would not that be bad with you and 400-500 lbs. sliding and flipping down the 1320".

POPS BK911

[dragracer]

I believe the rule applies to any header with a removeable collector. RJ race cars sells a weld on set that has tabs instead of the bulky clamps. The cable then goes in between the tabs.
I wasn't happy about it but my car has stainless headers and the collector springs have broken and I lost a tab once too. A collector coming off during a burnout could be dangerous as well as down track.

Don,

My thoughts are this should have been directed to cars only. The reason for my statement is cars do not have a way to restrain the collector at the rear if its an open exhaust system.The engine in a car does torque somewhat on launch so the exhaust system moves independantly of the chassis itself so bolting the rear of the collector to the car is not practical- plus the rear sometimes hangs way below the bottom of the car or exits to the side. Motorcycle engines are rigid mount and don't move in the chassis. Once the header is bolted on the engine and the megaphone is attached at the rear, the system cannot move independently of the frame. I don't think the NHRA car guys really thought this out in the manner that a motorcycle sanctioning body would have.

Pops, you are correct, this will have an adverse affect on not only new racers, but seasoned racers as well. Remember how all the rules from AMA Dragbike eventually weeded out one racer after the next until no one was left standing.

[Don R]

I think NHRA revised this for door cars with a full exhaust, possibly the revision also applies to a bike with an attached tailpipe. As usual a call to a division director may be needed.
I agree they make it more and more difficult to race, the problem is everything is so much faster than a few years ago. Our single carbureted gas burning dragster is as fast and quicker than the blown nitro cars of the early 60's. The bikes are even more awesome.

[dragracer]

I think NHRA revised this for door cars with a full exhaust, possibly the revision also applies to a bike with an attached tailpipe. As usual a call to a division director may be needed.
I agree they make it more and more difficult to race, the problem is everything is so much faster than a few years ago. Our single carbureted gas burning dragster is as fast and quicker than the blown nitro cars of the early 60's. The bikes are even more awesome.

You are so right on the quickness and mph of todays race cars and bikes versus 10-20 years ago. One of the Atlanta racer made some calls to the division director. No luck there- we have to comply.

[MRieck]

I think NHRA revised this for door cars with a full exhaust, possibly the revision also applies to a bike with an attached tailpipe. As usual a call to a division director may be needed.
I agree they make it more and more difficult to race, the problem is everything is so much faster than a few years ago. Our single carbureted gas burning dragster is as fast and quicker than the blown nitro cars of the early 60's. The bikes are even more awesome.

Nice.

[POPS 911]

I watched two brother [ BURT BROTHERS ] run only a header pipes for the pass 5 years = they won WALLY'S, KING OF THE TRACK, NAPA DAYS, NIGHT OF FIRE, TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS and many rounds without a muffler or collector ! We dyno  the TURTLE HONDAMATIC  with no collector and with the collector and a small gain was had with a collector. My simple fix = take off collector , re-jet carbs , save weight and make loud noise.
FRANK: RULES TO LIVE WITH,   You and ME saw IDBA, AHDRA,  PRO-STAR and AMA PRO-STAR lose many racers and go away ........... could this be NHRA telling bikes the name means NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSES with no BIKES in that name. Yet they let you race a bike to 120MPH in 1320' wearing a pair of JEANS ?? I have always wore leathers from day one, even at 77mph or 129mph and you go down I would max out my Medicare [ WITH ME 30 years on FIRE DEPT. I HAVE SEEN MANY MOTORCYCLE WRECKS ]  them folks in bad shape or DEAD with no helmet , gloves, leather coat, boots and  DRUNK.

POPS BK911   LIGHTER and LOUDER in 2014

[Bill/BentON Racing]

We'll see. I talked with Keith yesterday(he's in Mexico til Sat.) and we're getting together Sunday. Also told him he needs a rep @ the track, ESP first weekend!
So I'll report back, meeting him Sunday morning, Bill

[dragracer]

We'll see. I talked with Keith yesterday(he's in Mexico til Sat.) and we're getting together Sunday. Also told him he needs a rep @ the track, ESP first weekend!
So I'll report back, meeting him Sunday morning, Bill

Billy,

Please ask him to do an extra. I'll need one for my F model. It has the V&H pipe on it too. I"ll send him payment when its ready. Would like to come race with you guys when i get an open day.