NASCAR jet dryer operators to wear firesuits, helmets after fire at Daytona

dpkimmel2001

dpkimmel2001

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I thought they already were but I guess not. I guess better to react than not act at all.

Jet dryer operators will wear firesuits and helmets this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway as part of a safety move following Juan Pablo Montoya’s fiery crash in the Daytona 500.
Montoya’s car spun and he crashed into a jet dryer during a caution period in Monday night’s season-opening NASCAR Sprint Cup race. Neither Montoya nor Duane Barnes, the jet dryer operator, were injured, but the impact caused a huge fireball as approximately 200 gallons of jet fuel spilled onto the track.
The jet dryer belonged to Michigan International Speedway, and Barnes was not wearing a firesuit or a helmet.
PIR spokesman David Lockett confirmed that its jet dryer operators would be outfitted with the safety gear this weekend.
Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage said his track will take action as well. Jet dryer operators, whose job entails blowing debris from the track following wrecks as well as drying the racing surface, do not wear firesuits because they typically are not around fires.
“My guys will [wear them] because, if nothing else, I like them and they’re good guys,” Gossage said. “I want firesuits and helmets for those guys. I want at least four-point [seat-belt] harnesses. I want to look at roll bars. I want to look at the right kind of fire extinguishers in the truck.
“To me the amazing miracle is the guy didn’t die from the collision alone.”
Barnes was transported to a Daytona Beach hospital for observation after the accident, but because of the 2-hour delay to fix the track, was back in time to watch the end of the race.
Barnes has been unavailable for interviews but released a statement through MIS this week: “I appreciate everyone for taking the time to write, call and ask how I am. I am OK and I am amazed at how many people have wished me well. I am also glad Juan Pablo Montoya is OK, and thank him for his concern.”
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From here.
 
I understand not having the helmet...but i do NOT understand why a guy driving a trailer with 200 gallons of jet fuel with race cars (who cares what speed) near him does not wear a firesuit. Kind of a duh moment if you ask me.
 
Go Panthers said:
I understand not having the helmet...but i do NOT understand why a guy driving a trailer with 200 gallons of jet fuel with race cars (who cares what speed) near him does not wear a firesuit. Kind of a duh moment if you ask me.
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It's not Jet Fuel. It's Diesel. Jet fuel would have burned that Truck to a crisp in a giant fire. Not the small one we saw.

As the fuel was leaking down the track, the flame was very slow to spread. Just like Diesel. I think somebody explained it in another thread better than I. He knew the fuel designations. Sounded better than my chatter.
 
MOEJOE said:
It's not Jet Fuel. It's Diesel. Jet fuel would have burned that Truck to a crisp in a giant fire. Not the small one we saw.

As the fuel was leaking down the track, the flame was very slow to spread. Just like Diesel. I think somebody explained it in another thread better than I. He knew the fuel designations. Sounded better than my chatter.
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Jet-A, which I am sure they were using is almost exactly the same as diesel.
 
It would make sense the Jet dryers used by NASCAR are ran on diesel fuel. Any jet engine will run on a variety of fuels all the way from JPTS to JP4, kerosene and yes diesel fuel. Ag grade Diesel fuel is the Cheapest so why not use it? it also has a much lower flash point.
 
Wow, we just have a copious wealth of brains on the site. I bet we could do anything. But we will talk racing.

That's just the way it is.
 
MOEJOE said:
It's not Jet Fuel. It's Diesel. Jet fuel would have burned that Truck to a crisp in a giant fire. Not the small one we saw.

As the fuel was leaking down the track, the flame was very slow to spread. Just like Diesel. I think somebody explained it in another thread better than I. He knew the fuel designations. Sounded better than my chatter.
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Fuel is fuel, it burns, for these guys to not have a firesuit is beyond stupid.
 
It runs on jet fuel. Why are you surprised? It's a jet engine. And a thirsty one at that. "It holds 200 gallons of jet fuel and it burns 200 gallons an hour," Salenbien added. During one race in April of 2007, the crews at MIS burned an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 gallons of jet fuel to dry the track.

from here:
http://gizmodo.com/5844499/nascars-jet-dryers-were-once-real-jets

Jet Fuel, Deisel Fuel, Kerosene are all quite similar.

Jet fuel is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. It is clear to straw-colored in appearance. The most commonly used fuels for commercial aviation are Jet A and Jet A-1 which are produced to a standardized international specification. Kerosene-type jet fuel (including Jet A and Jet A-1) has a carbon number distribution between about 8 and 16 carbon numbers; wide-cut or naphtha-type jet fuel (including Jet B), between about 5 and 15 carbon numbers.[1]

from here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_fuel
 
Russia still uses Kerosene to launch rockets to space. We call them BDB's, or big dumb boosters........

......ok, back on topic. Can anyone tell me what the topic is?
 
So appparently it was the trailing arm that broke on the 42 car.
From Jayski's...

Montoya broke truck arm before Daytona crash: From Friday's media availability at Phoenix:
CAN YOU EXPLAIN TECHNICALLY WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED TO THE CAR? WHAT BROKE ON THE CAR?
Crew Cheif Chris Heroy: "Yeah, it was the truck arm that failed."
WAS IT JUST ONE? CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT'S HOOKED-UP TO AND WHAT ALL THAT DOES?
Heroy: "It's hooked-up to the housing. One failed and then the other, because of the one failing. The housing came out, basically."
DID YOU HAVE ANY INDICATION? YOU SAID YOU FELT A VIBRATION. COULD IT HAVE BEEN THE FIRST ONE GOING BEFORE THE SECOND ONE WENT AND YOU LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR?
Montoya: "No, I'll be honest with you. In my opinion I think it was close to failing and it hadn't failed yet because the guys went underneath the car and they checked everything and they moved and pulled everything and everything was in place. It was just the loading of the car. It was just too high."
DID THIS GIVE YOU EVEN MORE FAITH IN THE (SAFETY) OF THE CARS?
Montoya: "People, like when the COT came out, people complained about it and it wasn't this and it wasn't that and the view and the size and the this. I'll guarantee you if we would have been in the older cars I wouldn't have been okay. So I'm pretty happy we are in these cars. It's pretty amazing what NASCAR does."
DID FIRE SHOOT THROUGH THE CAR AND THROUGH THE ****PIT?
Montoya: "Yeah, there was a little flames for a second. It wasn't much. It didn't even get hot. It's like I saw the flames everywhere and I'm like, I'd better get out of this fast. That was it."
IS YOUR FOOT BRUISED?
Montoya: "Yeah it's just the top of my feet where it hit; it actually broke the boot (protective heat shield that goes on driver's shoe) and everything."
(Chevy PR)(3-3-2012)
 
I was thinking trailing arm, I have seen cars spin the same way for the same reason. It also looked like it with the amount of sparks, a big part was dragging.
 
I thought jet drivers had firesuits and helmets already. I know the regular track personnel do, when they go pick up debris and so forth
 
NASCAR to use extra pace car behind jet dryers: NASCAR officials announced a change to have an extra pace car with flashing lights behind the last jet-dryer truck on the track in all races in all three series -- Sprint Cup, Nationwide and the Camping World Trucks Series. The change, which was explained to the Sprint Cup teams during the drivers' meeting Sunday morning at Phoenix International Raceway, comes after Juan Pablo Montoya's car spun into a jet-dryer truck during a caution period in the Daytona 500 Monday night. The drivers of the jet-dryer trucks also will wear helmets and fire suits during each race, but that is a change agreed upon by officials at race tracks that play host to NASCAR events, not a rule instituted by NASCAR.(ESPN)(3-5-2012)
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Okay, this is knee jerk reaction by NASCAR. The accident had nothing to do with not seeing the jet dryer, it was a mechanical issue with the car and now if this fluke ever happened again, all they are doing is allowing for more possibel injury by the pace car driver.
 
wolfcub said:
Okay, this is knee jerk reaction by NASCAR. The accident had nothing to do with not seeing the jet dryer, it was a mechanical issue with the car and now if this fluke ever happened again, all they are doing is allowing for more possibel injury by the pace car driver.
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I agree. NASCAR just made things worse by adding an extra, more vulnerable target. Amazingly stupid reaction to a 1 in 100,000 accident. How did this meeting go?

1) A car broke and hit the big heavy jet dryer.
2) Lets give the jet driver a helmet and firesuit.
3) Hey, lets protect the big heavy jet dryers driven by the protected drivers by having a light unprotected street car with an unprotected driver behind them.

Sometimes, NASCAR is totally retarded.
 
NASCAR officials announced a change to have an extra pace car with flashing lights behind the last jet-dryer truck on the track in all races in all three series

What's even MORE stupid is that Juan Problemo did not hit the last jet dryer in line so the extra warning car would have added NOTHING.
 
All going to prove that you cannot legislate against accidents or stupidity .Noone can imagine what the next accident will be nor can they put a suitable rule in place to prevent it.
 
FenderBumper said:
I agree. NASCAR just made things worse by adding an extra, more vulnerable target. Amazingly stupid reaction to a Juan out of 43 accident. How did this meeting go?

1) A car broke and hit the big heavy jet dryer.
2) Lets give the jet driver a helmet and firesuit.
3) Hey, lets protect the big heavy jet dryers driven by the protected drivers by having a light unprotected street car with an unprotected driver behind them.

Sometimes, NASCAR is totally retarded.
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:fixed:
 
robbybee said:
NASCAR officials announced a change to have an extra pace car with flashing lights behind the last jet-dryer truck on the track in all races in all three series

What's even MORE stupid is that Juan Problemo did not hit the last jet dryer in line so the extra warning car would have added NOTHING.
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SMDH Brian must really have his head up his azz....
 
On another forum I visit some idiots were actually blaming Juan for the incident. Very amusing.
 
Cost of Toyota Pace Car $35,000 cost of Jet Dryer and Truck $225,000........maybe that explains NASCAR's latest decision :laugh:
 
wolfcub said:
Okay, this is knee jerk reaction by NASCAR. The accident had nothing to do with not seeing the jet dryer, it was a mechanical issue with the car and now if this fluke ever happened again, all they are doing is allowing for more possibel injury by the pace car driver.
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This is exactly what I thought.....

This whole accident isnt about the driver not seeing the jet dryer, it's about a part breaking that sent the car into the jet dryer. If Montoya had hit a pace car, then i bet the driver of the pace car wouldn't be here.

This is a knee jerk reaction that would not have prevented this from happening in the first place.
 
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