Administrators Bill Strong Posted September 25, 2018 Administrators Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 Upcoming Races... Tech Update Harris Hill Pittsburgh Road America Atlanta Motorsports Park Auto Club Speedway VIR Barber Laguna Seca Sebring There will be inspections of your pit equipment at the start of the race. 10-Pound fire bottle ABC, a gauge in the green. Dry chemical. Fuel catch can. This is approved and recommended. Available at Walmart and Auto stores. https://www.walmart.com/ip/5-Gal-Grey-Drain-Pan/29757712 Turkey aluminum pans are not legal. Spent extinguishers are not legal. Extinguishers under 10-pounds are not legal. Cookie sheets are not legal. If you have facial hair or long hair that is not covered by the helmet and suit, you are required to wear a balaclava. All people over the wall during fueling MUST have all drivers gear on. An old Fuel helmet only can be worn and closed toe shoes. Leather recommended. SFI socks required. Basically, everything you are required to wear in the car, you are required to wear when fueling. If you have team members not dressed for a fire, please have them stand back away from the wall when fueling. A flash fire will injure those unprotected along the wall. They can also be in the escape route of the fuelers. If children are allowed on pit lane, you need to also move them away from the wall when fueling. Only put the next can on the wall when the fueler is ready for it., If a flash fire erupts, those cans you have stacked on the wall can also become part of the fire, and they can be in the way of the escape route. You will not be allowed to fuel unless you have the above sorted. These are not new requirements. We are just finding way too many teams not following the rules that are in place to protect you in case of fire. Rules are located here in the BCCRhttps://champcar.org/mainweb/rules/ Supplemental Rules for the event you are racing in may have additional or modified rules that are in place due to the tracks requirements. Please read them. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technical Advisory Committee Ray Franck Posted September 25, 2018 Technical Advisory Committee Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 9 minutes ago, Bill Strong said: Upcoming Races... Tech Update Harris Hill Pittsburgh Road America Atlanta Motorsports Park Auto Club Speedway VIR Barber Laguna Seca Sebring There will be inspections of your pit equipment at the start of the race. 10-Gallon fire bottle ABC, a gauge in the green. Dry chemical. Fuel catch can. This is approved and recommended. Available at Walmart and Auto stores. https://www.walmart.com/ip/5-Gal-Grey-Drain-Pan/29757712 Turkey aluminum pans are not legal. Spent extinguishers are not legal. Extinguishers under 10-pounds are not legal. Cookie sheets are not legal. If you have facial hair or long hair that is not covered by the helmet and suit, you are required to wear a balaclava. All people over the wall during fueling MUST have all drivers gear on. An old Fuel helmet only can be worn and closed toe shoes. Leather recommended. SFI socks required. Basically, everything you are required to wear in the car, you are required to wear when fueling. If you have team members not dressed for a fire, please have them stand back away from the wall when fueling. A flash fire will injure those unprotected along the wall. They can also be in the escape route of the fuelers. If children are allowed on pit lane, you need to also move them away from the wall when fueling. Only put the next can on the wall when the fueler is ready for it., If a flash fire erupts, those cans you have stacked on the wall can also become part of the fire, and they can be in the way of the escape route. You will not be allowed to fuel unless you have the above sorted. These are not new requirements. We are just finding way too many teams not following the rules that are in place to protect you in case of fire. Rules are located here in the BCCRhttps://champcar.org/mainweb/rules/ Supplemental Rules for the event you are racing in may have additional or modified rules that are in place due to the tracks requirements. Please read them. Man us guys are sure getting picky . I only found 15 pit stalls at Sebring that had uncharged or tiny fire extinguishers. Its like we think filnging gas around is dangerous or something . 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDChristianson Posted September 25, 2018 Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 Seems obvious, but is it in the rules to not smoke in the pits? I’ve seen it happen and find it shocking. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jab31169 Posted September 25, 2018 Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 Yea we had to ask our pit mates at a race to put out the cigs while standing next to our fuel jugs. Common sense isn't really common these days. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Originalsterm Posted September 25, 2018 Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 I asked at the Watkins Glen race earlier this year about some of the tiny office fire extinguishers I saw people using while fueling, I was told by someone "What do you want us to do? Buy different fire extinguishers? We've always used these." One of the many examples of people who haven't had the need to use some piece of safety equipment yet who just don't get it. I'm all for strong enforcement of safety rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technical Advisory Committee Andrew D Johnson Posted September 25, 2018 Technical Advisory Committee Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 13 minutes ago, JDChristianson said: Seems obvious, but is it in the rules to not smoke in the pits? I’ve seen it happen and find it shocking. You can smoke in the pits, just not the hot pits IIRC. I'm sure WV knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotchkis23 Posted September 25, 2018 Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 Honestly, I don't think smoking should be allowed in the paddock either. Especially since we allow teams to have 50 gallon barrels. Have seen a lot of folks standing near those puffing away... Then again, I don't smoke so hopefully I'm not being to harsh on those that do. I'm sure tracks have rules about this too and maybe we should ask about it to make it clear to all? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Bill Strong Posted September 25, 2018 Author Administrators Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 Smoking and Vaping should be banned. But that's just my opinion. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlorahDorah Posted September 25, 2018 Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 (edited) I have two smokers on my team. They smoke in the paddock, far away from any fuel. Just because some are oblivious doesn't mean all smokers are. I saw a charcoal BBQ lit up next to a large drum of fuel in the back of a pickup truck in the infield hot pits at Fontana several years ago. I said something along the lines of 'you sure that's a good idea?' and was told it wasn't sparking so not to worry.... You can't make this stuff up. I dropped a word in the race director's ear about that one. Edited September 25, 2018 by FlorahDorah 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlorahDorah Posted September 25, 2018 Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 @Bill Strong we need a 'shocked' emoticon. Or maybe a 'facepalm' emoticon? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technical Advisory Committee Ray Franck Posted September 25, 2018 Technical Advisory Committee Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 I know I'm not the sharpest tack in the box but this saftey thing has got to catch on at some time , hopefully it wont take tragedy to open eyes . Not to go on a rant here but we have been trying to check nets belts and hans at pit exit . We are shocked at what and how many times we find loose and under hans belts .. This past weekend I check and find this guys helmet has no hans anchor's. When I said you don't have your hans on he said yes I do ,well he did have it on , but its not hooked to your helmet he said oh yeah . Im thinking we will have to park offenders at pit out and let them call the team to fix the problem . Once it starts costing time mabe it will wake some up . 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvumtnbkr Posted September 25, 2018 Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 I know I am about to spend a fair amount of time making my car safer from fire.... Also, I DID go on track recently with my HANS not hooked up. I realized it when I went to look down at something and was amazed how much I could move my head... I was actually able to hook it to my helmet when the track went yellow about a minute after I realized that I didnt have it hooked up! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mender Posted September 25, 2018 Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 2 hours ago, FlorahDorah said: @Bill Strong we need a 'shocked' emoticon. Or maybe a 'facepalm' emoticon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mender Posted September 25, 2018 Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 3 hours ago, Bill Strong said: Smoking and Vaping should be banned. But that's just my opinion. One of my co-driver's son was vaping by the pit wall and was told to move away. Rightly so, looks like a fire. I would have donated a fire extinguisher if they had doused him with one while yelling "Fire!" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Bill Strong Posted September 25, 2018 Author Administrators Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 I want to do that with every ginger headed vaporer. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottyk Posted September 25, 2018 Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 Do we have a number as to how many fires on pit road Champcar experiences in a season? Just curious what that is, as I haven't seen one nor do I want to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlorahDorah Posted September 25, 2018 Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 14 minutes ago, mender said: In the choice of emoticons for reactions to a post - right now we have 'Thanks, Haha, Confused, Sad, and Like'. 'Shocked' (or 'Wow') would be better than a "Facepalm" as we try to be nice around here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snorman Posted September 25, 2018 Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 5 hours ago, Bill Strong said: Only put the next can on the wall when the fueler is ready for it. Can you please confirm if this is even permitted as well? We never leave a jug on the wall during a fuel stop. We always have somebody on the other side handing off a jug to the fueler and it's and exchange program. This means that we HAVE to have somebody in our pit doing this (i.e. another body). It's not typically an issue, but I did not believe we could leave jugs/cans on the wall at any time. S. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin9 Posted September 25, 2018 Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 As a survivor of race car fire... (check out Daytona pit fire on youtube)... Bravo! This also reminds me that I gotta buy all new extinguishers... because all the ones I had were in the shop when it burned... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Racer28173 Posted September 25, 2018 Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 53 minutes ago, Snorman said: Can you please confirm if this is even permitted as well? We never leave a jug on the wall during a fuel stop. We always have somebody on the other side handing off a jug to the fueler and it's and exchange program. This means that we HAVE to have somebody in our pit doing this (i.e. another body). It's not typically an issue, but I did not believe we could leave jugs/cans on the wall at any time. S. I think, but am not sure, that he is talking about the practice of having someone on the cold side of the wall hoisting a jug up onto the wall and holding it there in anticipation of the fueler coming over for it. I don't think anyone is leaving unattended jugs on the wall, but I guess anything is possible. I saw someone try to do a wheelie on a 125cc pit bike in the pits at VIR and crash into a bunch of fuel jugs, so dumber things have been done.... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snorman Posted September 25, 2018 Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 45 minutes ago, Racer28173 said: I saw someone try to do a wheelie on a 125cc pit bike in the pits at VIR and crash into a bunch of fuel jugs, so dumber things have been done.... I swear that was not us. While we were running all over the paddock and VIR in general on our little blue Yamaha pit bike, we never crashed it or hit anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Racer28173 Posted September 25, 2018 Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 2 minutes ago, Snorman said: I swear that was not us. While we were running all over the paddock and VIR in general on our little blue Yamaha pit bike, we never crashed it or hit anything. LOL - no, it was before you guys were even in Chump (at least I don't remember you guys being around at that point). It was a team that is no longer with us....... and not particularly missed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbaker480 Posted September 25, 2018 Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 If I'm wearing a flat brimmed hat I can still vape in my subaru right? 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockerbarc Posted September 25, 2018 Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 So if my face hair doesn't hang out of my helmet I can skip the balaclava right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlorahDorah Posted September 25, 2018 Report Share Posted September 25, 2018 47 minutes ago, bbaker480 said: If I'm wearing a flat brimmed hat I can still vape in my subaru right? Only if you have a scruffy beard and have organically sourced all the ingredients for your vape of choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.