refueling

Scott Haynes

Scott Haynes

hello
So we have a new car coming out this weekend. Problem was just discovered that the "FIVE" gallon tank only holds just over two. After talking to some people it apears to have been built for 20 minute heat races. We need to get him through 30! I couldn't find the rule for refueling during a standard race. I know there are several for the enduros. This is an open wheel car.

I hate for a novice to miss his first race because we can't get this fixed in time. I am told he can make it if he drives half throttle the whole time. Might not be a bad idea anyway...:wink:
 
What kind of car?? FV, FF, FC, FL??

2 gallons is marginal for a 20 minute race in most open wheel cars.

Is this an ex auto cross car or something?

Have you checked with D&D, Archie Hodge, et. al. the open wheel prep shops to see if somebody have 4.5 to 6 gallon fuel bladder? Sounds like you need to make a change eventually.

An FF, CFF or FC will need about or slightly over 4 gallons for a 30 minute race (including grid, pace and cool down laps) .. Don't know about FV.

P.S.
I don't know of any open wheel race car that was originally built for road racing that had/has less then a 5 or 6 gallon bladder.
 
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It pays to read the sups

11. Refueling is not allowed in pre-grid. Fueling in the hot pits requires a crewmember assigned only to operate a fire bottle. Excess spillage will result in a penalty.
 
It will be an FB car running in FL.

It will be done eventually. The tank for this car is inside the chassis and will have to be cut out. I am just hoping we can get him out there to get his feet wet this weekend even if we have make a pitstop.
 
FB or F1000, both are motorcycle powered open wheeled cars. The car was a school car that will be converted to a legal FB car by next year. Good novice car in its current configuration. One thought is to add a surge tank, 1/2 gal to make it though the novice race. I believe that there is room inside the fuel compartment.

Great to have a new open wheel novice.
 
Ryan_Hieronymus said:
(nOOb time!) Whats a FB?
Click to expand...

FB was the brain child of an FC driver who wanted to go faster for less money. So he took a Van Diemen FC and sold off the rear end FC parts then built a new sub frame to hold a Suzuki GSZR1000 engine and wider tires all around. Car turned out to be amazingly fast running at the pointy end of the FA lap times with $16,000 LOWER engine cost!! (James Blackwell has a TOUGH time chasing them down at Pacific Raceways in his FA). They as in the doers thought they had a low cost speedster. Buy a used FC for around $18 to $20K. Sell off the rear for maybe $8,000 to $10,000 and use the money to convert to MC power (engines are around $2,500 to $3,500). Could almost do the conversion free!

One of the early pioneers was/is Glenn Cooper (aka: Giancarlo De Coopola) who races in the southeast out of Atlanta. He 'ate' everybody for lunch in the major races at Road America, Road Atlanta, and places in between for the last couple of years with a "Novak" built conversion "kit" on a VD chassis. One fast guy. He was out here in Seattle for the Double National. He didn't do well in FB (only had a rental Firman for Monday) and spun on the second lap at T-2. But he drove Dave Bennett's DSR Sat/Sun and learned the track very fast. He had serious chance to be a contender.

Any way yes, cheep go fast concept. THEN, Stohr decided to get in the game and begain building $60,000 'factory' FB's. Then, Phoenix got in the game with a $50,000 FB, Then, Firman in England got in the game.... then.. then.. now it's a pretty expensive (if you go factory) way to go REALLY fast on the race track!

But OHhhhh, man! 13,000 RPM, no lift flat to the floor paddle shifters, 148 MPH terminal velocity at Pacific. They are soooo much fun to watch and hear. All with a 1000 cc engine!

There are several semi Pro series FB's are running in and in 2012 there will be an 'official' FB pro series. No telling how long it will last though. Cause I ASSURE you they will probably put on a better, more exciting show then the featured Pro race of the weekend where ever they go
 
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