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.)
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.)
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