Fire related news-For you NASCAR fans and FF teams

[NJFFSA16]

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - In the wake of fiery crashes over the
last two months, NASCAR said Wednesday that all vehicles in its
three top series will soon have a fire-extinguishing cylinder in
the fuel cell area.
Winston Cup drivers Ken Schrader, Dale Jarrett, Ryan Newman and
Bobby Labonte were forced to scramble from their burning cars.
The new requirement will go into effect for the Winston Cup,
Busch and Craftsman Truck series beginning Aug. 13. But NASCAR was
recommending teams adopt the change immediately.
"We've been working diligently on fire prevention and fire
containment at the NASCAR Research and Development Center over the
last few months," said Gary Nelson, head of the R&D operation.
"After researching and testing various systems, we felt this was
the most viable one for containment of potential fires coming from
the fuel cell area."
With this system, the extinguisher releases Halon, a proven fire
suppressant, in the area of the blazer. Halon is a liquefied
compressed gas that stops the spread of fire by chemically
disrupting combustion.
It will be an automatic system but also will have an override
from the driver-activated system already located in cockpit.
In addition to the fire extinguisher cylinder being added for
the fuel cell area, NASCAR has enhanced its requirements and
specifications for the current on-board driver system as well as
the fuel cell vent area.
"While researching this issue, we also identified other areas
that could be improved by modifying the requirements or
specifications for the teams," Nelson said. "We were able to make
improvements to the driver and fuel cell/trunk compartments, and
identify the best ways to install and apply the technology during
this process."
In a related project, NASCAR will conduct a test of its
alternate exit, more commonly known as the roof hatch, on Aug. 6.
The Midwest Roadside Facility in Lincoln, Neb., will conduct a
crash test that will simulate a rollover-type accident.
Nelson said a successful test could lead to a recommendation of
the safety component by NASCAR to teams in the Cup and Busch
series.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

Gordon speaks out......

By JENNA FRYER
AP Sports Writer
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) - Four-time Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon
asked NASCAR to improve its safety crews, joining a growing list of
drivers unsatisfied with the current rescue efforts.
Gordon became angry after Sunday's race in Watkins Glen, N.Y.,
when rescue workers were slow to get to him following his wreck
near the finish line.
Once the crew got onto the track, the ambulance drove toward his
car instead of Gordon, who was already walking away. He angrily
gestured for the crew to come get him.
Then, the ride to the care center was in bumper-to-bumper fan
traffic because there was no clear route for the ambulance to take.
"I was pretty upset at how long it took me to get to the
infield care center, and I talked to NASCAR about it," Gordon said
Tuesday. "I feel like they heard me loud and clear, and I think
they know there is an issue here.
"And its unfortunate that we're being reactive instead of
proactive."
Gordon's complaints are just the latest from drivers and car
owners.
Bobby Labonte and Dale Jarrett were furious over slow response
times when they were involved in fiery accidents. Ryan Newman said
the crew that responded to him after he flipped at Watkins Glen on
Friday was unsure how to help him get out of the car.
"They were definitely late," Newman said. "It was pretty
ridiculous. When they got there, they didn't know what they were
doing."
Unlike most other major racing series, NASCAR uses local
emergency medical technicians as safety workers instead of a
full-time traveling crew. Full-time crews are familiar with
drivers' medical histories and have thorough experience in
responding to wrecks.
NASCAR defends its system and notes that it holds training
seminars for the local crews. Part of the reason it takes crews so
long to respond is because they have to wait for the cars to
complete the lap and race back to the caution car before NASCAR
officials dispatch them to the scene.
Gordon wants more.
"We need to know that they are properly trained, properly
informed and prepared," he said. "I want to see trained guys that
go to a course away from that race track and are prepared to deal
with every situation."
Other series use advanced scoring systems that "freeze" the
field when an accident happens, prohibiting cars from racing back
to the finish line and allowing the rescue crews immediate access
to the track and the wreck.
"Racing back to the yellow is an issue and if we're not working
on it now, we should be working on a computer program to freeze the
field so we don't have to race back," Gordon said.
Car owner Richard Childress doesn't think that's the answer.
"Each situation is different and sometimes some are a lot
tougher," Childress said. "If the pack is still coming, the cars
are still racing and are going to be strung out. Slowing them down
is going to make it longer to get them all together and make it
safe for the rescue crew.
"The quicker the cars get back there to the yellow, the quicker
the crews can get out there."

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[engine23ccvfd]

I thought Halon was illegal for new installs do to its effect on the enviroment? How do they keep the driver from suffocating?

[E229Lt]

How do they keep the driver from suffocating?

Suffocating is Okay, as long as he doesn't get burned.

The agent is in the fuel cell area, not the drivers compartment.