Why we wear full safety gear, even for a relaxed d...

It was speculated to be a chill, laid-back observe day–the Grassroots Motorsports Track Day at the FIRM–the place we and our readers are welcomed by our official take a look at observe for a full day of open pit lane and simple lapping. We had been joined by Randy Pobst, too! 

And since he’d by no means pushed our endurance race automobile–an LFX V6-swapped Miata–I figured this was the proper place to lastly put him in it. I walked Randy over to the automobile, and he immediately landed within the driver’s seat like a bumblebee in a flower. “Glad you match,” I stated, “however let me take the automobile out for a couple of laps first to get it warmed up and ensure all the things is okay. Then I’ll hop out and the automobile is yours.” We had no thought simply how shortly I’d be hopping out.

This was a automobile we’ve achieved dozens of races in–one we’d already cleaned up, inspected and prepped after its final race, marking it “good to go” for its subsequent one. It was as “able to go” as certainly one of our vehicles can get, save for the contemporary brake pads we usually set up within the paddock after a race weekend’s follow classes. If you happen to’re picturing some untested science experiment, this wasn’t it. 

Which is why I used to be so stunned when it was all of the sudden on hearth. Braking into the primary nook after the FIRM’s longest straight, I noticed a puff of white smoke from the left entrance accompanied by a definite lack of deceleration. 

“Crap,” I assumed, “I will need to have popped a brake line or one thing bizarre.” Then the automobile immediately spun 180 levels. 

I now know why: as a result of oil was being pumped onto the observe beneath my tires. And wow, that smoke changed into hearth! A minor inconvenience had now changed into essentially the most harmful a part of racing. I virtually couldn’t consider it–I’d by no means been on hearth earlier than, and also you’d suppose it could not less than ship you an e-mail or one thing to let you already know it was in your schedule, proper? No warning. No warmup. Simply, “Hey, you’re on hearth.”

I acquired the Miata underneath management, sliding to a cease proper in entrance of a nook station, then the subsequent few seconds had been a blur–one I can largely keep in mind as a result of we had in-car video working the entire time. My bailout follow took over, and inside a couple of seconds, I used to be out of the automobile and waving off the employees working towards me with extinguishers. The hearth was already out, and the Miata was nonetheless and quiet other than the hissing of its hearth system and the large pool of oil creeping its means out from beneath. 

Trying by the trackside photographs, this was a small hearth: flames filling the engine bay and bursting a foot or two out of the hood vents, with flaming oil falling to the oil puddle beneath the automobile. I estimate we misplaced 4 to six quarts within the incident–a lot to burn the automobile to the floor. 

The trigger? A totally damaged (name-brand) becoming on the automobile’s distant oil filter adapter line sprayed oil straight onto the header. The repair took me a couple of minutes, and the fireplace system labored so shortly that I didn’t even have a lot as a melted wire to repair: just a few minor soot and a complete lot of oil to scrub up. I drove the automobile once more about an hour after pulling it off the trailer.

So, what did I be taught? First, hearth programs are price each single penny. The Miata had an outsized Novec 1230 system from SPA Technique with three redundant activation strategies: digital, guide cable and automated thermal bulb. 

Talking of pennies: Don’t hesitate to drag that cable, both, as a result of my hearth appeared means smaller from contained in the automobile. I had a quick second of being low-cost and never eager to waste the system on one thing small. Seems I might have spent a whole bunch or 1000’s of {dollars} extra to repair the inevitable harm if I’d let it burn. 

Second, security gear doesn’t work in the event you don’t put on it. And unhealthy issues can (and do) occur in non-competitive conditions. 

[Track days: Is there such a thing as too safe?]

Like most observe days, this one solely required a helmet. I received’t get right into a race automobile with out full gear, and let me let you know: I felt fantastic about that superstition as I watched flames dance out of the hood. Security gear is not any assure, however not less than you may really feel smug whereas your automobile is burning. 

Third, follow your bailouts. I follow in each automobile and earlier than each occasion, which is why I used to be capable of keep calm and get out of the Miata so shortly. 

And lastly, there’s all the time room for enchancment–as a result of I skipped a vital step that might have made this incident a lot worse. Electrically actuated programs like this one are powered by a 9V battery, and I take a look at it earlier than each session with the little “take a look at” button. 

Do you know there’s a take a look at mode for the wiring, too? I examined the connection after I put in the system, however hadn’t since, which is why I had no thought there was a damaged wire within the circuit. That’s proper: The Miata’s hearth button did nothing after I pressed it on observe. Hooray for the cable backup launch–and the automated thermal bulb that might have theoretically popped the bottle if the passenger compartment had gotten too heat. 

This might have been a column in regards to the lack of my race automobile–or worse–however finally, it was about an previous adage that I sadly examined in actual life: Fireplace burns simply as sizzling on a take a look at day.

Feedback

Displaying 1-1 of 1 feedbackView all comments on the GRM forums

You will must log in to submit.