Dirt Late Model Escape Hatch

Just reading the March 2010 edition of Circle Track...an article about C.J. Rayburn's new "Super Late Crate"...fascinating feature of this Dirt Late Model (DLM) is an escape hatch. Positioned directly over the drivers seat, it is hinged at the front edge. Shades of Funny Cars! Interesting idea!

I like innovative thinking...and C.J. Rayburn obviously has been thinking. My question is this...what problem is he trying to remedy? If you look back several entries, I made critical remarks about DLM window configurations and cage construction. While the escape hatch would certainly be helpful in some situations, such as a fire or a crash where the car stops with the drivers side against the wall, I think it is a well-done bandaid when major surgery is needed.

Frankly, the window opening is just too small. The cages seem to be too likely to have serious crush issues. The hatch is a baby step in the right direction...when will the industry decide to make a real changes necessary and move on? I hope we do not have to have injuries arise from these areas of concern...it is time to take a hard look at these issues and make the roll cage/window opening changes to allow easier egress and keep halo bars up where they belong...in the meantime, the escape hatch is probably probably a good idea...thanks for your efforts C.J.!

Dirt Late Models

I have real concerns about the safety of our current Dirt Late Models (DLM). I can not just sit here and say it is ok when I, and others whose opinions I respect, have real concerns. Here is a partial list of concerns:

1. DLM window openings are entirely inadequate...even drivers who are not "husky" routinely have serious problems getting out of an inverted (upside down) DLM...add a fire and you better pray your safety team is "loaded for bear"...if you have a full-containment seat, it is worse...sanctioning bodies and chassis builders need to get together and come up with specifications to make this situation better and set a date for full implementation...the current situation is too risky!

2. While we are talking about changes to DLM chassises, let's talk about the design of the roll cages in general. I have seen too many "greenhouses" substantially deform downward in crashes, especially something more than a "puppy roll over." When your seat becomes part of what protects you from things your roll cage should be stopping, that's a problem. I have personal and anecdotal experience that indicates the current design is not adequately protecting drivers. I do not pretend to be an engineer...and am sure someone can devise a better design.

3. Seeing more full-containment seats in DLM's is awesome! Many thanks to those of you who have chosen to be pro-active concerning your own safety...you deserve it! It is a wise investment in your continued enjoyment of racing. While we are talking about seat and restraints, I have serious concerns about how many DLM seats and restraints have been installed. Drivers, crews, and sanctioning bodies need to get more interested assuring proper installations. I really don't care who built your car and their misguided ideas on seats and restraints, bad is still bad and can result in you being getting dead or badly injured.

I hope this spurs thoughtful consideration about this area of our sport. Remember, at the end of the day, everyone needs to go home standing up!

So much progress...much still to do

Over the past thirty or so years, much progress has been made in racing safety issues. Things like better seats, firesuits and helmets, and head and neck restraints...better restraint systems, safety inspections by sanctioning bodies, and a more scientific approach to studying the dynamics of crashes...all have been key in reducing deaths and serious injuries in racing.

What do we still have left to do? We need to be more consistent in our efforts...we need to educate drivers, promoters, sanctioning bodies, and other safety personnel on the "best practices" in our business...we need to do research on subjects like fire suppression to determine "best practices" and encourage their implementation at our tracks. Frankly, we must also be willing to step up and eliminate "bad apples" from our ranks.

Real people and their families rely on us...the fans rely on us...the racing community in general relies on us...we need to get and keep our ducks in a row...we need to be willing to stand up for things we believe in...know why you are there...it is critical that we stay abreast on what is going on in racing safety...we do make a difference!

Modern seats prevent burns

My hunch is several folks who read this will think I might have driven off the edge of the sanity cliff with this headline that comes from the blog written before this one. Well, at least not yet my friends...and here is why.

In referring to Mike Fedorcak's crash of 1985, where he was critically burned, one of the factors that contributed negatively to his situation was that his helmet was damaged in the crash. Apparently it hit something behind him...a bar or some other structure. It is not hard to imagine a blow severe enough to structurally damage a helmet is hard enough to knock you unconscious, and it did. Being unconscious make it really tough to do anything...sometimes even to breathe...and even tougher to escape a flaming racecar. Current full-containment seats not only restrict head and neck movement, it helps keep other things that could be harmful away from your head and neck from the back and sides...good seat=no bars to hit.

In my years of researching racing accidents, I have found the "Law of unintended consequences" is commonly in play. Nikki Lauda had no idea a poorly designed and fitted helmet could indirectly cause him severe burns in his 1976 Formula 1 crash. Current full containment seat technology clearly did not exist in 1985 or Mike might have been using it. THAT TECHNOLOGY EXISTS NOW...PLEASE USE IT.

Go out of your way to meet Mike Fedorcak...he is a racer in every sense of the word...he understands the importance of a high-quality firesuit...and a good helmet...and all the other things racing safety advocates talk about...and will tell you the same thing...USE THEM!

Damn it, racing safety matters!

Once in awhile, you get that "big wind" that stirs you to the bones and makes you almost manic in your fervor for whatever...it is that way for me concerning racing safety. Most days I can get through the days without getting carried away...today is not one of those days!

Last Thursday, I met with a friend I have not seen for quite awhile...Mike Fedorcak of Yoder, IN...yep, he is THAT guy, who sold Tony Stewart one of his famed Munchkins midgets. Mike is a racer...through and through. I was there to consult with Mike about a racing safety project I am working on...we got talking about his near fatal fire of over 20 years ago...what went well and what did not...I will spare you the details now, perhaps another blog entry. Let me summarize with this... #1 using full containment seats prevent burns! #2 wearing a good firesuit matters! #3 using a water -based extinguishing agent, especially with an additive matters! #4 training and practice for safety teams matter! #5 what we do well, or do poorly, matters!

Mike was severely burned in a nasty crash...he has the scars to prove it...17 surgeries and a different perspective on a number of issues later, Mike still races occasionally and owns a fabricating business...and cares about the things I mentioned above.

WHAT WE DO IN RACING SAFETY MATTERS! NEVER DOUBT IT.

Tiered approach to fire suppression

Fire suppression in racing should be considered as being in layers of coverage and protection. The two most basic approaches involve the use of hand-held extinguishers and larger, vehicle-based systems.

I must confess, I have a prejudice toward water-based extinguishing agents. While it is the only water additive I have used recently, I have developed a great deal of confidence in Cold Fire. Mixed in various ratios with tap water, it dramatically increases water's ability to absorb heat and when dispersed on a fuel spill, it chemically interferes with the fuels ability to burn. I think that water-based agents decrease contamination, prevent re-ignition by removing heat sources, and in cases where the driver is actually involved in the fire, it can reduce burn injuries by using the agent to pull heat out of their uniform/clothing. I personally know of a driver who incurred additonal burns from rescuers unavoidable pressing his hot firesuit and FR underwear against his skin while removing him from his car...water would likely reduce if not eliminate that type injury. Water based agents also improve visibility and breathability...if you have been involved in discharging dry chemical, you know what I am talking about! I can not imagine using dry chem in a cockpit around a driver who likely is hypoxic and scared...I like breathing...breathing dry chemical is bad...been there, done that.

Whether your hand-helds are dry chemical or water-based, they are the backbone of your attack. Having hand-helds deployed around the track in non-vehicle responses can dramatically decrease response time to incidents. Getting folks to the scene quickly and, of course, safely, is huge. Decreasing the time from first ignition to first agent generally decreases the issues getting it extinguished. The longer it burns, the hotter it gets, the harder it is to get it out.

We need to also focus on training for responders with hand-held bottles. I believe there is no replacing live fire training. It does not need to be a conflagration...and it does need to use appropriate safety measures throughout. Annual skill training and periodic refreshers go a long way to make every bit of effort and resources meaningful.

The second layer of suppression, and I actually consider it as secondary, it a vehicle-based suppression system. This system is your "trump card"...what you go to when it gets tough. It does not mean that you do not think of deploying your "big gun" until it is beyond hope. On the contrary, I am a firm believer in pulling the hand line from your vehicle-based system any time you arrive at a crash scene and the driver is not out of the car or is not making his/her way out of the car. It is much easier to re-roll a line than to explain how a driver was endangered while you have a great fire system unused on your truck.

What should that vehicle-based system consist of...an interesting question...and one to be considered in another column. Any feedback you have on vehicle-based fire systems would be appreciated. Either leave it here or email to: racesafe@gmail.com.

Fire-related thoughts

Several weeks ago, a driver in Nebraska, Tony Linner, was involved in a crash that resulted in a fire and he was in the burning car for an estimated 5 minutes. There are lots of questions that result from this situation...let's take a positive slant on the situation...what can we learn?

Be interested in what kind of fire suppression equipment is available where you race. Ask questions of the safety team (yes, there should be one)...if you are using methanol, water-based extinguishers are much better than dry chemical. Are the team members wearing firesuits or other protective clothing? Is there an ambulance present? What are their medical capabilities (EMT, Advanced, Paramedic)? Do they transport or meet another unit in the parking lot? Does the safety team have hydraulic rescue tools or do they call the local FD/rescue squad? Either way is not awful...just good to know.

Another detail about this incident...apparently the driver removed his helmet before getting out of the car...before he could get out, the ruptured tailtank (no bladder) and resulting fuel spill ignited...it is probably a good idea to leave your helmet on until you are away from the car.

If you are not using a bladder in whatever kind of fuel tank you have, please reconsider that situation. Only 5 gallons of fuel makes one dandy fire that can seriously hurt you...if you do not have the money for a fuel cell....maybe...

How about your firesuit? Is it at least double layer? Is it clean and free of grease/oil stains? Are they areas that are torn, frayed, or worn thin? REPLACE IT.

I have visited burn units...I have had significant burns...I have taken care of severely burned patients...none of these was a particularly pleasant experience...and I was not the patient in the burn unit!

At the end of the day, everyone goes home standing up!

Give 'em a way out!

It is important to think about how you and your team would approach a burning race car with the driver still on-board. Using your extinguishers and fire streams effectively to make a path of egress (exit) for the driver is critical.

An important concept to keep in mind is to work as much from the closest point to the driver and fight away from the car. When you watch videos carefully, you will often see rescuers pushing the fire toward the driver, not away from him/her. It is not always possible to use this tactic...the majority of the time it is. Think about putting yourself between the driver and the fire.

Remember that gravity can be your friend. Unless there is an unusual reason not to, fight the fire down the banking, not up. Often, this situation is totally compatible with tactic mentioned in the previous paragraphs. Trying to push the fire up the hill is not productive...and especially if you are using a liquid agent, the extinguishing will run down hill putting out the burning fuel/liquids.

This sounds perfectly obvious, and it still is worth mentioning, pay attention to the driver after he/she exit the car. I have seen several situations where a driver exits the car, on fire, and the safety team continues fighting the vehicle fire and does not go after the driver. That driver needs to think he/she needs swimming lessons!! They must get extremely wet (yeah, dry chemical or CO2 does not make it) very quickly, and that hot fire suit needs to come off PRONTO. Modesty has no place in this discussion. Leaving the hot material in place will aggravate any burns present and can cause new burns by simple contact with the skin. If you ever look at what I carry in my on-track holster, you will find 2 rather large and sharp scissors...the idea being if we have to remove a hot fire suit quickly, more is better.

Think it over before the need arises...look at videos on the Internet...critique yourself and others...we all get better when we do. Simply throwing water or powder at the fire is not good enough...we can be more effective when we give it some thought.

At the end of the day, everyone goes home standing up.

Why we do what we do

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAELVdoHmUE

Please take the minutes it takes to watch this video! It demonstrates any number of critical points about how drivers need to think about their protective clothing and equipment...how safety crews are equipped and trained for what we do...and why we do what we do. This situation can happen any night...at any track...in any class of car...with any type fuel.

Please...give this video some thought...how would you and your crew measure up?...how would your firesuit and accessories protect you in the same situation?...what would you want to see done differently?

Congratulations to the Hanford Safety Team on "getting it done!"

At the end of the day, everyone goes home standing up!

Drag racing

Back in the day, I was offered numerous opportunities to work safety at IHRA National drag racing events while working with Professional Track Services (PTS). I steadfastly declined those offers...I just did not see the value of working a race that only lasted a few seconds and did not involve any turns (unless it involved a serious crash or simply turning off the end of the track). I finally relented and agreed to work an IHRA event at Milan Dragway, near Detroit. I was quickly hooked on drag racing.

While my EMS schedule at the time was not really conducive to making the longer road trips required to cover IHRA events further away from home, I had fallen for drag racing. I only worked a handful of events from the safety perspective...and have continued to enjoy the occasional drag race as a spectator with my sons and various other guests. There is no sensation like being near a nitromethane fueled engine when they hit the throttle! Between the sounds, the fragrance of the nitro fuel, and feeling the sounds in your body...it is hard to describe...And we have not even left the pit area yet! Experiencing a car making a 300 mph pass in the 3-4 second range is incredible. 8000 horsepower is impressive at the least.

I you have never been to a professional drag race, especially one with nitro cars, do it soon! While it is not the same as circle tracking, it is worthy of a serious race fan.

Teamwork

Over the years, I have had the honor of working with several very successful racing safety teams. All of the organizations have had something in common...teamwork!

There is no better feeling than seeing your team work their way through a tough situation...with skill and proficiency...and doing everything that can be done for the person involved, driver, fan, or crew. Having a positive outcome makes it even better. Having well-defined roles and responsibilities are good starting points...we all know that some situations require adjusting on the fly...knowing the basics is critical.

A couple of weeks ago, after having worked a challenging situation that had a great outcome, I was struck by how important it was to be able to trust your teammates to protect each other. Our situation required me, as the person with responsibility for the driver, to have undivided attention on the driver. Later, I saw a photo that shows the other guys on my truck there with me, while another crew was arriving on the scene. The photo reminded me of the 2 layers of teamwork at work, as the guys on my truck were covering my sizable rear end... the other truck arrived, helping us finish off the situation. What a great feeling that not only did our team work well together, the driver did well after a very shaky initial assessment.

Constantly assess how your team is working together...makes sure everyone knows their role and responsibilities...debrief, however informally, after every "working" situation to see how others viewed things...encourage open and candid comments. Waiting until you face a critical event is not the time to deal with shortcomings in teamwork.

Everyone goes home standing up!

Dirt Late Models

I really enjoy watching Dirt Late Models (DLM) race!

When I work races involving DLM's, I am reminded of how much I wish we would make a safety-related change. The window/roll cage configuration is just not practical in terms of the driver getting out in bad conditions. I have worked numerous flips involving DLM's and it is always very difficult for a driver to get out while the vehicle is upside down. Now, let's add a fire to the equation...not sure I like how it might turn out. Having a full-containment seat makes egress even more challenging...and the better seats are NEEDED...think personal roll cage!

It is time for the DLM community to take action on this situation and increase the vertical distance from the top edge of the door tin to the lowest surface of the roof panel/halo bar. This distance, again, is measured vertically...NOT on the diagonal. A practical specification would also be needed for an unencumbered horizontal measurement.

In a perfect world a total change would be made immediately...and it is not a perfect world. In the mean time, I am sure a formula can be worked out to give an advantage (weight, etc) to those who go to the new chassis/cage configuration...time and natural attrition will see the older style chassis going by the wayside.

It is nice to see an increasing number of DLM's using modern techonolgy seats...there are still those who cling to ineffective seats, poor seat mounting ideas, and unsafe seat belt mounting methods. Drivers...if you do not look out for yourselves and move toward safer seats and associated concepts, eventually someone will force the issue.

Remember, everyone goes home standing up!

Equipment maintenance and replacement

The final component of our blog on pre-season maintenance covers personal equipment and equipment on the safety vehicle.

1. Cleaning, of firesuits and other protective items, if not done at season's end. Follow
manufacturers recommendations. Don't forget those helmets!
2. Powered hydraulic rescue tools should be refilled with fresh fuel...engine oil and all
appropriate filters should be changed...a new spark plug makes the power unit as easy to start
as possible. Hoses should be checked for damage or leaks...the fluid level in the reservoir
needs to be checked and refilled as necessary.
3. Medical kits and devices must be inventoried and restocked..expiration dates checked...items
like immobilization devices and back boards need to be cleaned...if used at a dirt track,
consider covering them with plastic bags to keep them as clean as possible.
4. Make sure all rechageable items are fully charged and fully functional. Radios need to be
periodically checked and maintained.
5. Check your personal holster and the like...fresh batteries to flashlights...sharpen knives and
scissors. Lubricate tools as needed. Clean everything!

While these lists are not perfect, they should give you some ideas and serve as memory ticklers to help you be as ready as possible for the upcoming season.

Have a great season...keep yourself and your crewmembers safe!

Vehicle Maintenance

The second of our pre-season preparation discussions concerns vehicle maintenance. It should be blatantly obvious that safety vehicles need to be kept to a very high standard of maintenance. The long hours they spend idling...the quick transition from idling to moving quickly onto the track surface challenges any vehicle. If the vehicle is used at a dirt track, the challenges are even greater.

The following items, in particular, need inspection and attention:
1. warning lights
2. vehicle electrical system (batteries take a real beating in the summer heat)
3. tires and brakes
4. fluids and filters (replace air, fuel, and oil filters at the start of the season, every season)
5. windows and doors (including tailgate if present)
6. air conditioning (if applicable)
7. belts and hoses
8. spark plugs and ignition wires

It also goes without saying that a thorough cleaning inside and out, including a coat of wax, goes a long way in establishing the appearance of professionalism. Make sure any sponsor decals on your vehicle are in good shape, professionally representing your benefactor.

Failure to properly maintain safety vehicles could be a source of major embarrassment, if not real legal liability if when called upon to respond, the vehicle is unable to make the trip. Given the nature of mechanical devices to fail in spite of good maintenance, we must do all we can to minimize the risks.

Remember, at the end of the day, everyone goes home standing up.

Safety team pre-season prep

Our latest blog was about pre-season prep for drivers and cars...this one is directed at safety teams. Yes, pre-season prep is required for the safety team!

For simplicity, pre-season prep should be divided into several logical areas:
1. Training and policy/procedure review/update
2. Vehicle maintenance
3. Equipment maintenance and replacement

This blog will deal with the first area, training and policy/procedure review/update.

It is important to have a comprehensive review of policies and procedures that relate to safety team operations. Sitting down with track management to go over policies/procedures is a great way to spend a couple hours. You should be able to work with management honestly enough to go over incidents or situations from the previous season and see how they could have been handled better by the entire organization. It is also a good idea to touch bases with medical control (if applicable) and your EMS provider to firm up plans for the coming season and make any necessary adjustments.

Having a training sessions for all personnel, not just the new folks, is a necessary practice. Going over policies and procedures before you have a situation is crucial to making things go well when the stuff gets deep. Having a real car for immobilization practice is a great training tool! If you ask around, you might even find a trashed chassis that will allow real cutting/spreading to be done...unless you ask, I doubt you will find one. The entire range of team responsibilities should be dealt with via training activities. You know the old saying about "assume."

It is a great idea to invite the EMS provider for your track to training sessions held by the safety team...it is a great team building opportunity and gives everyone a chance to work from the same "song sheet." Little things learned in joint sessions make for better interaction when tested.

The next entry will deal with vehicle maintenance.

Pre-season Safety maintenance

Time to be getting your ride ready for the 2009 season...no time like the present to make sure you do a thorough look-over from the safety perspective. Here are some thought-provokers to help you make sure you have your car/truck as good as it can be.
1. Make sure your restraints are clean, no fraying, mounted correctly and within date. SFI
suggests only 2 years from the manufactured date...3 years is as far as I would go.
2. Fasten yourself into your seat...extend your arms all around...any firm object you can stretch
and touch with even your fingertips should be padded with the rollbar padding material...use
the good stuff (SFI spec)...pipe insulation or swim tubes are not good enough...if you are not
willing to useyour fist to hit the rollbar with your fist using your current padding, make the
step up...fractures cause way more pain and cost more than good padding materials. Also,
while you are there, look for any sharp edges, blunt edges, or anything else you do not want to
hit with your extremities...look for problem area around your feet and legs too.
3. See previous blog about clearance between your helmet and halo bar...enough said.
4. See previous blog about high-quality seats...they make a huge difference for a modest price.
5. Check out your fire system...although they are seldom used, if needed, it can make the
difference between the burn unit (or worse) and just changing underwear. Make sure the
cyinder is properly charged, disconnect the cables from the bottle and make sure they are
move smoothly, look for debris in the discharge nozzles, examine all the tubing and assure no
kinks or other damage...remember, before you go on-track, pull the pin so you can operate it!
6. Closely examine your front and rear firewalls and all the crush panels. Holes of any kind in
any of these areas are a problem. Using silicone to plug the tiniest ones are ok...in my opinion,
if it is bigger than a penpoint, it needs to be welded or patched. Crush panels are there for a
reason...make sure they have not been damaged and seal well...sealing a close-fitting gap with
silicone sealer is acceptable...filling a larger gap with sealer is a terrible idea.

Let's prepare to have a safe and winning season!

LOOK UP!

Ok, maybe the title is hokey...hope it at least made you grin.

This purpose of this off-season article is to get you to look at your racecar with you in it, wearing your helmet, to check the clearance between the top of your helmet and the rollbar halo.

The suggestion I am going to make on this is really easy to measure...if you can not slip a 2x4, the tall side upright (3.5" and more is better), between your helmet and the bottom of the halo bar, that might not be ok.

Whether you are driving an open cockpit car (sprint, midget, etc.) or a closed cockpit car (stock car, modified, etc.), the dangers are the same...should your head/helmet come in contact with whatever is on the other side of your halo bar, it is not going to be ok. In violent crashes, the drivers body stretches and your restraints stretch...both potentially causing you to "grow" vertically, and in this case, that is not a good thing. Having your body trying to drive your head into the clay or the roof panel like a nail can be catastrophic for your neck. Can you say "paralysis?"

Please take just five minutes and check this out...it just might be what prevents you from a spinal injury that might not come out ok. It really bothers me to watch open cockpit cars pull onto the racing surface with helmets too high...sometimes even protruding above the top of the halo...let's encourage the sanctioning bodies to do their jobs and enforce existing rules!

Remember, at the end of the day, everyone goes home standing up!

Getting the 2009 Season Started

It looks like the 2009 racing season will really be starting soon! Spent last Saturday battling snow to and from the ARCA ReMax officials training session at the ARCA office in Temperance, MI. It was great to get back into the racing atmosphere with real race cars and real racing people!

I really appreciate that ARCA puts a huge amount of effort and emphasis into its safety program. One of the sessions at the training day was entirely based on safety-related information. Having tech inspectors that are conversational about safety issues is a significant advantage for the ARCA's team of officials and the racers who run with us.

Remember...the point is: everyone goes home standing up!

Get 'em ready to go! The 10" of snow on the ground will go away soon.