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Posted By: Ben 31 on October 12 2007 at 03:42:24 PM
The comment about concrete walls is right on the money. Safer Walls should also be considered. If Steve King had hit a Safer Wall he might still be with us.
There aren't a whole lot of tracks with properly equipped safety crews. That's why the Winged Outlaw Warriors have their own safety crew that travels wo every race with them.
Methanol fires can be a challenge. Dry chem extinguishers don't really work that well. "Cold Fire" cans are a joke. Water just spreads the fire. Compressed Air Foam Systems are the best way to handle a methanol fire. If your "safety crew" isn't wearing proper personal protective equipment they can't fight fire properly or enter a burning wreckage and pull a driver out. Just because the insurance company doesn't require a safety crew or an ALS ambulance doesn't mean you don't need these things.
What's everyone's thoughts on safety crews???
Ben T.
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Steve didn't hit concrete, he hit a wall that had some give (I was there as well). I am not convinced a SAFER barrier would have saved him from the hit he took (I'd like to wish that it would, but reality is reality).
SAFER stands for Steel and Foam Energy Reduction. Good system, but not necessarrily safer than the walls aready in place @ Knoxville (or Williams Grove for that matter). Tracks (99.9% of them are NASCAR paved ovals) that have the SAFER barrier have a concrete wall anchoring them, which means the foam offers you some protection, but you are still hitting Steel first, it's just that there is actually some "give" to the wall instead of being solid. Knoxville's fences have that "give" already.
I agree wholeheartedly on the safety/fire crews. Some of these (no offense to anyone) holes don't have anyone resembling an EMT on site, let alone on staff.
In the end, it will be us (the fans) that will end up paying for adequate fire/safety crews, because most promoters/track owners would go out of business due to the costs associated with it if they try to do it on their own (meaning more expensive ticket prices).
Just my $.02
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