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Does anybody know if this is really a Nitrous Fire, or just caused by gasoline??

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  • #16
    Re: Does anybody know if this is really a Nitrous Fire, or just caused by gasoline??

    Originally posted by Bamfster
    I agree w/ you, but at the same time, when we build our cars, I think it is encumbant on each of us to make sure we follow a sanctioning bodies rules so the car is as safe as possible, Not only to save your owm a$$, but out of respect for our fellow racers and spectators. Just like everything else in life, "what if" your program over and over again and hopefully it will give you an advantage should the worst happen.
    Bam....bingo. Most of the safety rules we have no in all forms of race are due to bad stuff happening in the past.

    Some things are unavoidable. I saw a guy come off of a snowmobile in the lights at over 150mph because the track powering the sled completely seized up. He broke his ankle and leg, but was otherwise ok. Good guy, good equipment, just one of those deals.

    Of all the stuff I saw at Maxton when I was there for the Hot Rod deal, the thing that impressed me most was the level and detail of the safety tech inspection. Stern without being disrespectful and deatiled like you wouldn't believe. The ECTA definitely has their stuff together in that department.

    I'm still trying to ID the track shown in the video at the start of this thread.

    Brian
    That which you manifest is before you.

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    • #17
      Re: Does anybody know if this is really a Nitrous Fire, or just caused by gasoline??

      This reminds me of a nitrous fire/explosion a few years back.
      One of our now defunct local dragstrips (Cooper River), allowed t/o runs between Pro and Sportsman bracket racing on slow nights.

      An acquantaince of mine and his "partner" were de-bugging a T/S Camaro. Big BBC, Lenco, 2 stages. One port system, one BIG plate.

      Car stalled on the starting line, flooded.....

      Spin, spin, spin....nothing.
      Push the car back to the head of staging.
      Keep spinning............


      Boom.....KaBoom,
      Finally, it got some life.....
      When the hood, front-end, windshield, doors, rear decklind, firewall, even the rear fuel cell partition.......literally exploded off the car.

      Apparently, the nitrous system (plate) was wired through a WOT micro-switch and a direct on/off dash switch. They followed instructions given by a "well known" no2 engine builder here in SC. He instructed them NOT to use the oil-pressure cut-out, as the engine might hit hard enough on gear changes or launch, and it could interrupt an oil-pressure switch circuit, disrupting the run!

      When the car stalled going on the limiter and flooded, the driver (a 20yo kid, with virtually NO experience in building cars), simply did what most people do when a car is flooded......put it on the mat, and keep cranking.

      The nitrous and fuel vapor were being pumped into/through the engine. Apparently, the plugs were so wet, they had no spark internally. When he kept cranking, it was just pumping raw fuel and N/o2 out of both the carbs and hoodscoop, and also under the car from the headers.

      When it finally saturated the engine compartment enough, the drilled cap/rotor spark lit the mixture.

      It blew the hood over the tower, the fiberglass body and front-end disentegrated, and the front-end sheetmetal and intake blew apart like shrapnel.

      A 15yo kid standing on the fence, near the starting line, had his jaw virtually sliced off by a piece of alum from the intake.
      He was just standing there one second, watching the next pair do a burn-out, the next second, his lower jaw and the outer "meat" around the right side of his face were hanging by shreds of tendon and muscle....

      The "fire" was very small, only a few seconds before being extinguished.

      BUT, it took about 5 minutes before an emergency response unit even KNEW the kid was hurt, 'cause they had run over to the car!.......even though the driver was out and walking around!

      It took about 250 stitches, and a couple surgeries to put his face back together. He needed the inside and outside of his face repaired, as the metal cut completely through his mouth, knocking out most of his right side teeth, and damaging the interior of his mouth, also.
      The worst part is knowing it could have been virtually ANYONE standing in a "secure" area, at a "safe" distance from the starting line.....Anyone! (including wives, other kids, crewmembers) allowed in the pits!

      Imagine if that happened at the track in the video!!!!!!

      It would have killed 10 people!


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      • #18
        Re: Does anybody know if this is really a Nitrous Fire, or just caused by gasoline??

        I've always made sure my cars passed my own tech inspection before going to the track, even if it is something I drive everyday. Most places I've been have been very lax on teching a "street car" I take my own safety very seriously. I don't go to the track every week, but I have seen some nasty situations and realize how quicly something can go horriblt wrong.

        Warricks Dragstrip that I mentioned as having recently closed in another thread, had a local ambulance crew on hand just in case, but that was the extent of their safety crew. I told them right from the start that something would happen eventually to close the place down. I pointed out flaws in the tech, how close people were allowed to sit to the lanes, just glaring problems. They never changed anything, and now it's all done. They started as just some guys wanting to do something besides collect trophies, and when the 13, 14 and 15 second cars started to give way to 9 and 10 sec. cars, I knew it was all over. There was a guy there with a 66 Chevelle with a 540 BBC. It ran 6 flat in the 1/8. He went to a real 1/4 mile track and they laughed him out of there. No cage in the car, helmet didn't meet spec, just a list of stuff. That was my chance to say I told you so!

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