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Thread: Fire suppression, fuel pump and kill switch

  1. #1
    Senior Member FFRSpec72's Avatar
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    Fire suppression, fuel pump and kill switch

    This past weekend races there was a bad wreck, brake failure @ over 100 mph, so as you plan your fire suppression system make sure you have enough suppression at the point of exit from the car, also make sure there is a external kill switch that is available for corner workers and also a remote fire pull. The driver here did not kill his fuel pump and also did not pull the fire suppression and neither one was available to the corner workers to activate. I'm also not sure how folks are wiring their fuel pumps but an inertia switch or some other means is recommended.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeqNnZbC1Z0
    Tony Nadalin
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    fasterer and furiouser longislandwrx's Avatar
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    Another good reason to keep the factory fuel pump controller, which kills the pump in case of a stall. Glad this guy walked away with only a sore neck.
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  3. #3
    Senior Member C.Plavan's Avatar
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    I raced a Ford in a 24 hour race. It had the stock inertia switch for the fuel pump shut off. Never again would I race a car with one. It was triggering when we were bouncing off curbs- which made it super dangerous. A reachable kill switch is really all you need (for you and corner worker). It should kill power to everything.
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    Senior Member FFRSpec72's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by C.Plavan View Post
    I raced a Ford in a 24 hour race. It had the stock inertia switch for the fuel pump shut off. Never again would I race a car with one. It was triggering when we were bouncing off curbs- which made it super dangerous. A reachable kill switch is really all you need (for you and corner worker). It should kill power to everything.
    No issue here with an inertia switch, most of us in the FFR Challenge series run with these and they don't seem to be a problem. Sometimes folks forget to throw the kill switch, like this guy, most folks don't have a kill switch that is reachable by a corner worker either, so agree that you should always have a switch that is reachable by corner workers
    Last edited by FFRSpec72; 06-01-2015 at 12:21 PM.
    Tony Nadalin
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    2012 ICSCC ITE Class Champion
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  5. #5
    Senior Member D Clary's Avatar
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    I have kill switch and fire suppression, even without, if the engine dies so does the pump. If the fuel line breaks between the pump and engine, the engine dies. the only way to have fuel running out would be a hole in the tank.

  6. #6
    Sgt.Gator's Avatar
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    I had a long distance off at the same track last year. The grass smoked but didn't ignite. I sat there with my hand on the pull handle for 5 mins waiting for the fire truck to reach me. Luckily I didn't have to pull it. I don't think my onboard system would necessarily stop a grass fire that starts under the car. My system sprays on me, the engine, and the fuel cell. Besides the onboard fire system I now carry a handheld extinguisher too, just for grass fires at Oregon Raceway Park.
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  7. #7
    Senior Member D Clary's Avatar
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    I kind of think the track should cut the grass.

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