Quote:
Originally Posted by Deschodt
Not sure I'd count dragster pilots as "drivers" per se... more like rocket riders... I'm not saying they have no talent, I'm certain they do, on top of giant attachments, but those aren't the skills one thinks of when thinking race car driver.... no turns, at all.... braking with a parachute! She's cute though, Graham Rahal must be happy guy!
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Yeah, drag race drivers have suffered this kind of separation from "real" race car drivers for decades. While there is a good deal of cross-over between the various road racing and oval racing disciplines, you will notice, however, that virtually none of these "real" race car drivers ever hop into a Top Fuel car. Come to think of it, I can't come up with one. The only exception that comes readily to mind is Danny Ongais, and he actually went from Funny Car and Top Fuel
to Indy car.
I've got honest mid nine second passes under my belt. Granted, in today's world, that does not sound like much, and I cannot fathom what it must be like in a Top Fuel car. As an avid DE day participant in my '72 911 hot-rod, I will say this much: I would put any driver I ever drag raced with, stone cold with no training, in my 911 and let them lap a road course. I would never even consider letting anyone at a typical DE event hop into even a nine second drag car and just let 'er rip, without some very extensive training and practice. It's
a lot harder than it looks.