Safety

A harsh reality of what can happen. Be safe



http://www.yellowbullet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1728594

http://www.click2houston.com/news/man-crashes-dies-during-test-run-at-houston-motorsports-park This happened at our local track a few days ago. Makes three now. Be careful.

I watched that last night. Sobering indeed.

Pretty close to home, used to race with the guy
back in the Navasta days and some of my buddies still do. That track is just a little short for the fast cars.

supervel45 wrote:http://www.click2houston.com/news/man-crashes-dies-during-test-run-at-houston-motorsports-park                                                                       This happened at our local track a few days ago. Makes three now. Be careful.

"Converted race car" sounds like statistics are being collected. Sad to hear about the wrecks.

supervel45 wrote:http://www.click2houston.com/news/man-crashes-dies-during-test-run-at-houston-motorsports-park                                                                       This happened at our local track a few days ago. Makes three now. Be careful.

According to his son Jason, he died before he wrecked most likely.

I did not get all the details yet, just found out about it last night and talked to a couple of people.

My eyes might be playing tricks on me but the crash pics in the news report make it look like the driver's seat might have broke loose from it's mounts during the crash. To me it looks like the seat is sitting well forward of the main hoop, in fact far enough forward that it appears to be sitting even with the front of the F/C cage.

But it might just be an optical illusion, hard to tell.

I'm glad I watched that video. Chris Caldotto had a similar fire on his Dodge truck. He put the wrong jet in and it created a torch out the front of the head right into his fuel cell vent hose. He was ok fortunately. Sounds like power adder cars need a reinforced firewall around the back of the heads.

David Willingham wrote:.......Sounds like power adder cars need a reinforced firewall around the back of the heads.

It wouldn't be that hard to make some form of a sacrificial steel deflector plate/strip (say 1.5" or 2" wide x 1/8" or 3/16" thick) that would either bolt to the mid plate or to the back of the head. It's length would be whatever was needed to run the length of the rear facing block/head gasket line.

Cars where the mid plate forms part of the firewall might have a harder time finding room for the deflectors. But on cars where the mid plate & firewall are separate from each other it should be a lot easier to get them in there.

whatbumper wrote:

supervel45 wrote:http://www.click2houston.com/news/man-crashes-dies-during-test-run-at-houston-motorsports-park                                                                       This happened at our local track a few days ago. Makes three now. Be careful.

According to his son Jason, he died before he wrecked most likely.

Check your PM box.

DILLIGASDAVE wrote:

David Willingham wrote:.......Sounds like power adder cars need a reinforced firewall around the back of the heads.

It wouldn't be that hard to make some form of a sacrificial steel deflector plate/strip (say 1.5" or 2" wide x 1/8" or 3/16" thick) that would either bolt to the mid plate or to the back of the head. It's length would be whatever was needed to run the length of the rear facing block/head gasket line.

Cars where the mid plate forms part of the firewall might have a harder time finding room for the deflectors. But on cars where the mid plate & firewall are separate from each other it should be a lot easier to get them in there.

After talking to Lyle at Georgia and seeing the video I see a couple things that I am going to change in our operation.

His firewall was NOT what it should have been and they know it now. I don't think much of anything could have stopped what happened with the flame travel except if they would have had the ability to kill that cylinder. One large injector per cylinder instead of two would have helped a bunch. If it would have quit then the cylinder would have just stopped running instead of creating a flame thrower. At least 20 boots, gloves and suit along with badass head sock and shield down would have helped a bunch. I'm not familiar with fresh air systems but I will check into those as well.

I have some other ideas as well for the electrical/ignition system that I have been working on getting a patent for that could help drivers in the future as well.

whatbumper wrote:.......I have some other ideas as well for the electrical/ignition system........

During a pass (and with all the wizz-bang electronics currently available these days for power-adder drag cars) why couldn't something like a drastic change in the observed real time exhaust gas temps of a/any given cylinder be used to signal a shut down of the fuel & ignition to that cylinder if it starts to chop through the block/heads like a cutting torch? That might be a way to knock down a flame thrower cylinder before it gets too bad.

https://www.429-460.com/t24244p25-new-motor-ready-for-mustang#280783 Posted to wrong thread.

DILLIGASDAVE wrote:

whatbumper wrote:.......I have some other ideas as well for the electrical/ignition system........

During a pass (and with all the wizz-bang electronics currently available these days for power-adder drag cars) why couldn't something like a drastic change in the observed real time exhaust gas temps of a/any given cylinder be used to signal a shut down of the fuel & ignition to that cylinder if it starts to chop through the block/heads like a cutting torch? That might be a way to knock down a flame thrower cylinder before it gets too bad.

We already have that built in our FuelTech stuff.