Yes, the 'chute release will often be pulled by an explosion that blows the body off. The heat from the fire often fouls the 'chute. I doubt Scott was unconscious, the car went too straight. I'm sure he was partially blinded by the fire. But when Johnny West was knocked out at the same track in a funny car a decade or so ago, the car rode the guard rail all the way down, and he hit the same wall, just slower. Scott was steering the car and trying to stop it, I'm pretty sure from the video. They only have brakes on the rear wheels, and those are useless above 300MPH, the front tires are too small to have any real brakes. The back of the car bouncing is a sure sign of a desperate attempt to stop the car with just the brakes. A guy I crewed for did that in a dragster, because he didn't want to get out and pick up the 'chute. The car bounced 4' in the air before he got it back under control and stopped, and he was only going 170MPH. It takes me 5 minutes to pack a 'chute, it took me 2 hours to get the car safe to race, and a whole day to actually make all the repairs.
Most tracks like Englishtown are in a situation unlikely to be remedied. For years, unscrupulous real estate agents and developers have sold property around tracks to people because they can get the property cheap. Then they all go to the local government and get the tracks restricted all to Hell. They HOPE they can drive the track out. Half the time it works. Actually, all the track owners and racers should get together and start filing class action suits against the governments and the real estate companies. If the track can't win a lawsuit, it won't be changed, and it will never be safe to race those cars. If it can't meet the minimum standard, they need to move the race. That's not just what I think, that's what current AA/FC points leader Tim Wilkerson said Sunday. There needs to be a good minimum standard, and they need to stick to it. The moved the race at Columbus for the same basic reason, although the Norwalk track was better as well. Doug Kerhulas was nearly decapitated at Columbus due to the short shut down area, and he suffered permanent brain damage. I'm all for history and tradition, as well as keeping tracks open. But I'm tired of my friends dying because of substandard safety. The Kalittas helped us out a great deal with Scott Palmer's Top Fuel program, those guys are friends. Maybe I'm a little raw right now, but I lost another friend just over a week ago racing friend, but natural causes). Burying friends gets on my nerves.
By the way, as a guy who drives race cars, as well as who makes his living as a crew chief and engine/transmission/rear end builder, I'm sick of people saying "at least he died doing what he loved". That's a crock of crap. It's NO condolence or consolation AT ALL to friends OR family. A racer does NOT want to leave his death at the feet of his sport or hobby, nor does he want to take out his ride or anything else in the process of dying. I have no idea who came up with that lame oscar trite cliche, but it sucks, and it's a joke.
