First "capsule" ...Ron Braaksma in 1988

[Bite the Bullet]

Ron was THE pioneer in Top Fuel safety design! Imagine the courage it took!!

 

[pixrthis]

That configuration was scarier than an open boat.

 

[FreeBird236]

Good thing it didn't take long to move into the capsule.

 

[ElAzul]

Pretty sure he crashed in that open design at about 130mph he was banged up but fine. I remember him saying the water at 130 was brutal and they probably helped push to the closed design. RIP Ron Madness was a bad mofo

 

[77charger]

Those were just plain dangerous and worse off than a regular open boat.My bosses family ran the hillbilly top fueler and had that same design Jerry was in a bad crash throttle cable took his arm off too.

 

[MSum661]

Those were just plain dangerous and worse off than a regular open boat.My bosses family ran the hillbilly top fueler and had that same design Jerry was in a bad crash throttle cable took his arm off too.

I was there the day Jerry went over at Puddingstone. He lost an ear on the prop near the end of the 1/4 and the boat rolled into a crash.
Ron Braaksma was in the other lane but red lit leaving a bit early on the start.
Horrible deal that day.