Author Topic: Pit lane tragedy ....  (Read 3269 times)

satman

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Pit lane tragedy ....
« on: April 30, 2015, 02:02:56 AM »
       The recent pit lane fire at Richmond International Raceway during a mid-race pit stop at last weekend's Xfinity Series race with Brendan Gaughan's number 62 Richard Childress Racing car sent two crew members of the RCR crew, along with one member of a neighboring team to the hospital with sever burns.
 This event caused me to pause and reflect on how lucky we and the other Trans-Am teams were not having to suffer the horrific consequences of having to survive a similar event.
 Unlike the NASCAR boys who wear nomex fire suits, helmets and have a battery of fire suppression equipment on hand, we were clad in only t shirts and jeans and our fire suppression consisted of a 5 lb fire extinguisher that would be challenged to control a good BBQ fire.
  
     Back in the day we couldn't afford a fancy fueling rig like the Penske boys so our answer was a 20 gallon Nascar style refueling can wielded by 2 big burly crew members ..... Did we spill some fuel you bet your ass but compare our paltry 2 or 3 gallons to the Exxon Valdez like stops of  Penske boys we were definitely  minor leaguers .

Remember speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?

AL
 

 
« Last Edit: April 30, 2015, 03:21:23 AM by satman »

69Z28-RS

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Re: Pit lane tragedy ....
« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2015, 02:28:02 AM »
I was 'gas man' during a few IMSA race stops at Road Atlanta... It was a good experience.   ::)   This was back in the mid-late 70's before the big track changes, and as I recall we had to trek up thru the pines to get fuel.  We had a little red wagon ( Yes, really a kids wagon) to run the cans from the pit to get them filled, then we 'wagoned' them back to the pits for the next fuel stop, me pulling the wagon and my 'helper' making sure they didn't tip out of the wagon.  My helper was a very small friend... maybe 120 lbs soaking wet !... so I supplied the force... all I asked him to do was to guide the spout into the fill neck!.. dump 1.. set the can down, grab the second and lift it into position... about the time the 2nd can emptied into the tank,  get the can out of the way because the car is gone.. :)
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satman

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Re: Pit lane tradegy ....
« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2015, 02:37:19 AM »
We had a Nascar style fuel filler mounted on our ramp truck so we could practice our pit stops, using the free gas supplied at the track of course .......

Remember speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?

AL

69Z28-RS

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Re: Pit lane tradegy ....
« Reply #3 on: April 30, 2015, 02:43:57 AM »
:)   That's the kind of 'race practice' that pays off in more ways than one.. :)
09C 69Z28-RS, 72 B 720 cowl console rosewood tint
69 Corvette, '60 Corvette, '72 Corvette
90 ZR1 red/red #246, 90 ZR1 white/gray #2466
72 El Camino, '55-'56-'57 Nomads, '55-'57 B/A Sedan