Drag Race? Sobering Video

[weather man]

Maybe a 5 level suit isn't such a bad idea.

I had a fuel fitting come loose just driving down the street spewing E85 all over my windshield.

I don't get why he didn't pull his fire suppression, of course, I have never been on fire and had to remember to do that.

 

[stkjock]

that's a heck of a story, even if you posted in the wrong forum,


He does talk about the fire suppression not working at 180 mph around the 6 min mark

 

[Sky Render]

What's a 5-level suit? Is that the one the Nitro and land-speed guys use?

 

[Mystickeith50]

5 layer...that's actually a starter and I feel should be worn with anything go 10s or faster. A 20 is what should be worn with these cars.

 

[weather man]

that's a heck of a story, even if you posted in the wrong forum,


He does talk about the fire suppression not working at 180 mph around the 6 min mark

Anything that would have helped suppress the fire a little would have been worth doing. I think that fire was so fierce all he saw was death and not much else.

5 layer...that's actually a starter and I feel should be worn with anything go 10s or faster. A 20 is what should be worn with these cars.

You read about guys bitching that they want to use a 1 and not wear a 5 because it is to hot.

 

[stkjock]

listen again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rm3DFI9ERlY#t=389

 

[Mystickeith50]

You read about guys bitching that they want to use a 1 and not wear a 5 because it is to hot.

It's a lot cooler than being on fire.....I know some guys don't want to suit up like a top fueler because the "only" run 180mph in the quarter lol. These guys are running close or over 200 to the 1/8.

 

[Steve@Tasca]

Geez, that's horrific. I have to believe a better firewall would have helped in this case.

Guy is lucky as hell to be alive.

-Steve

 

[pics06gtstang]

listen again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rm3DFI9ERlY#t=389

Very chilling to watch and he made the point very clear .
POINT TAKEN !

 

[travelers]

They also make what is called a cool suit, which you ware under the fire suit. It can be hooked up to a cooling setup which runs cool water through the suit.

 

[drive_55_not]

It's a lot cooler than being on fire.....I know some guys don't want to suit up like a top fueler because the "only" run 180mph in the quarter lol. These guys are running close or over 200 to the 1/8.

I was at Fayetteville a couple years ago when a guy in an old slow gasser threw a rod through the oil pan right at the 330 mark, that car was nearly engulfed by the time he got stopped and bailed out.

He was only wearing jeans and a short sleeved shirt, he's lucky he only had singed hair and few second degree burns on his arms.

I have a two layer jacket , gloves and started a using a balaclava after seeing that. I know I need to start using a full suit and probably need to install a FE36 system especially with these larger shots of nitrous I've been using.

 

[BadPiggy]

First off, forgive my ignorance.

Now the questions....

Why are these fire suits rated?
Since when did fires know it's heat limit?
There are differences in fires like the one in the video?
A fire in a 4 second car is more intense than a 10 second car?

I don't get these level ratings of suits.
If your car is on fire, it's fucking on fire.
Period.

 

[Sky Render]

The rating of suits is supposed to take into account how long it would take you to bring your car to a stop and get the hell out of it.

If you're driving a 17-second Honda civic, it takes less time to stop the car from your theoretical trap speed of 60 mph and get out of the car than it would take if you were in, say, a top-fuel dragster near the end of its run. In that case, it would take a much longer time to stop the car, undo your 6-point harness, and maneuver out of the cage you're sitting in.

That's why the highest-level fire suits are used in land speed racing. If you're going 200+ mph in the middle of the fucking desert, it's going to take a while to stop your car or for help to get to you.

 

[Steve@Tasca]

The type and volume of fuel being used makes a big difference as well, fire is not simply fire. Especially if you add Nitrous into the mix.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FLPdTysL_4

-Steve

 

[weather man]

 

[drive_55_not]

First off, forgive my ignorance.

Now the questions....

Why are these fire suits rated?
Since when did fires know it's heat limit?
There are differences in fires like the one in the video?
A fire in a 4 second car is more intense than a 10 second car?

I don't get these level ratings of suits.
If your car is on fire, it's fucking on fire.
Period.

SFI 3.2A/xx sets the driver suit standard, they are rated in time till a 2nd degree burn, as Sky Render pointed out if you're in a mangled caged car, it could take a while for you to extricate yourself.

SFI Rating..... TPP Value ..... Time to 2nd Degree Burn
3.2A/1 .......... 6 ................. 3 Seconds
3.2A/3 .......... 14 .................. 7 Seconds
3.2A/5 ........... 19 .................. 10 Seconds
3.2A/10 ......... 38 ................. 19 Seconds
3.2A/15 ........ 60 ................. 30 Seconds
3.2A/20 ......... 80 ................. 40 Seconds

 

[Racer47]

The SFI spec has to do with how much heat energy the suit can withstand. I attached the specs. A "20" rating does not mean its 20 layers. See the chart on page 6. A "5" is about 3 times better than a "1" and a "20" is about 4 times better than a "5".

These are for new suits. Way too many guys work on their cars while still wearing their fire suit. All that dirt and grease drastically reduces the performance of the suit.


(drive 55 not beat me by a few mins)

 

[Racer47]

Bill Simpson lighting himself on fire after the 1986 Indy 500 showing why his suits were worth the cost. If I remember the story correctly, Bill and another suit maker were arguing over who's suit was best. Bill proposed a burn down using suits that came right off the drivers of that 500 (no specially made suits). Bill showed up and lit himself on fire. The other guy left. Johnny Rutherford showed up with a hot dog on a stick.

 

[Mystickeith50]

First off, forgive my ignorance.

Now the questions....

Why are these fire suits rated?
Since when did fires know it's heat limit?
There are differences in fires like the one in the video?
A fire in a 4 second car is more intense than a 10 second car?

I don't get these level ratings of suits.
If your car is on fire, it's fucking on fire.
Period.

Take a promod for instance. It doesn't exactly take 2 seconds to get out of it. You are packed in there between tubing,etc. I think an impact in a 250 mph pass can affect your ability to get out of the car more than one at 80 mph. I think that's why the burn rating (seconds) is done the way it is.

 

[Wes06]

Bill Simpson lighting himself on fire after the 1986 Indy 500 showing why his suits were worth the cost. If I remember the story correctly, Bill and another suit maker were arguing over who's suit was best. Bill proposed a burn down using suits that came right off the drivers of that 500 (no specially made suits). Bill showed up and lit himself on fire. The other guy left. Johnny Rutherford showed up with a hot dog on a stick.

this badass mofo right here though.......