May of 1973 was deadliest month at indianapolis motor speedway since 1937. With news of indycars return to richmond for the 2020 season, past races at the track are once again brought into focus. Dario franchitti horrific crash amateur by nascarvideoarchive. Thats one of the main reasons why indycar switched to ethanol from methanol in 2007. The most recent driver to be killed in an indycar series event was justin wilson at the 2015 abc supply 500. Gold coast indy allmendinger methanol fire youtube. Indycar series debuts 100 percent fuelgrade ethanol.
The tours include indycar series drivers and serve as an initiation for many consumers to an ethanolenriched product. Both of us have caught fire before, he said wednesday. Driver takuma sato sat in the cockpit, shielded by a black umbrella. If you are experiencing login problems for your account to read the epaper or local articles on, please call 18444661453 or email for assistance. For the driver s championship, indycar tallies points based on each driver s finishing position, with the most points being awarded for finishing first. With the irls introduction of night races in 1997, the burning of methanol fuel was visible for the first time, seen with a light blue haze. The 2018 verizon indycar series was the 23rd season of the verizon indycar series and the 97th official championship season of american open wheel racing. Mears, on fire from the waist up, jumped out of his car and ran to the pit wall, where a safety worker, not seeing the fire. Methanol, once known as wood alcohol, burns with a very pale blue.
Mar 14, 2020 i do not watch indycar races all that much, but i seen some pretty amazing crashes, and this playlist is full of them. In the 1950s to 70s it was a major threat where even moderate accidents were accompanied by deadly flames. Ethanol is an american fuel that is good for the country and the environment, says ryan hunterreay, of rahal letterman racing and driver of the ethanol car. Thankfully, today, massive strides have been made in the fire safety area of the sport. The verizon indycar series is the premier level of american open.
Last month, indy 500 winner dan wheldon took us through the mazda road to indy, driving us f2000, mazda star and indy lights cars explaining how this ladder system prepares drivers for the. When an indy car pulls into the pit with an engine. Indycars engine builders reckon trading the lighter punch found in the e85 ethanol they use today for the more volatile delights of methanol. How much are indycar drivers paid for the risks of racing. Methanol fuel safety a practical guide then ignited when it contacted the engine. Indycar is working on a twophase investigation of the crash. The driver safety innovation encompassing the cockpit is comprised of a ballistic aeroscreen anchored by titanium framework. Danica was fighting that car from the jump, they never did get the setup working for her. The premier event was the 102nd indianapolis 500, with takuma sato entering as the defending indianapolis 500 winner. No injuries were reported, but the status of colton hertas car for sundays indycar seasonopener in st. Its parent company began in 1996 as a competitor to cart known as the indy racing league irl which was created by then indianapolis motor speedway owner tony george.
The only significant problem with methanol is that it burns with an invisible flame you cannot see a methanol fire. The indycar series jump to ethanol has been great, said tony kanaan, the series 2004 champion. Helio castroneves littleknown flip at richmond posted by nascarman on september 3, 2019 viewed 1002 times tweet. Methanol has been the standard choice in american open wheel racing since a fiery crash at the 1964 indianapolis 500. Indycar s engine builders reckon trading the lighter punch found in the e85 ethanol they use today for the more volatile delights of methanol will take care of almost half the 150hp theyre looking for. Gold coast indy allmendinger methanol fire by aussie64. Oct 22, 2006 fire breaks out in the forsythe pit area after aj allmendinger drives off while still connected to the fuelling rig at the gold coast indy 300, australia. Methanol has several physical properties that make it an ideal transportation fuel. Gmr grand prix get closer to the action at the gmr grand prix as the stars of the ntt indycar series take on the twists and turns of the ims road course. Dry powder continues to be just as effective against the flames as it works by cooling the flames and to some extent and depending on the type of powder you use it interferes chemically with the burning reactions. Indy cars are currently fueled with a blend of 98% ethanol and 2% racing gasoline. Drivers, the direct users of the fuel, voice their approval in glowing terms. Deadly may of 1973 still resonates at indianapolis motor. Rolando coronado, indycar mechanic indianapolis monthly.
In 2005, driver paul dana brought the sponsorship of the ethanol promotion and information council epic to his indycar team. Top 10 indycar technologies business autos nbc news. Takuma satos accident never should have been, that driver in the slow car should have been black flagged. Blinded by the burning methanol, several other drivers crashed into walthers car and each other. Indy 500 winner dan wheldon drives the usf2000star mazda. May 28, 2006 ethanol boosters hoping for indy 500 win. With this in mind, as a safety feature to make it more visible in case of fire during daylight hours, additional mixtures were placed in the fuel, so it would burn with a color. This familyfriendly event includes driver autograph sessions and the chance to walk on the legendary yard of bricks during the postrace track invasion. Indycars adoption of e85 ethanol has not led to public acceptance of the fuel.
If a fire occurs on the track, there is no smoke to obstruct the view of fast approaching drivers. Indycar drivers stop in baltimore as preparation for grand. It has, however, worked better for indycar than the fuel gambles. When thats not the case, however, its extra carbon atoms cause it to burn with a yelloworange glow. Indycar series simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Fire breaks out in the forsythe pit area after aj allmendinger drives off while still connected to the fuelling rig at the gold coast indy 300. Ever since racing began, a drivers biggest fears involved the dreaded fire. Six months after horrific crash, indycar driver robert. Indy car refueling and methanol world sports intelligence. May 21, 20 may of 1973 was deadliest month at indianapolis motor speedway since 1937. This bizarre video explains why people tend to avoid using. Water methanol without tuning page 2 pelican parts forums.
Methanol burns with a transparent flame and no smoke, and panic gripped the pit as crew members and spectators fled from the invisible fire. Six months after horrific crash, indycar driver robert wickens is walking with assistance. Chembark blog archive methanol fires are invisible. Except a big problem is that the fire is completely invisible. When an indy car pulls into the pit with an engine fire, pit crews simply pour water on the racecar, and the driver gets back into the race see photos. David salt walther was a driver in the usac and cart championship car series. Fire breaks out in the forsythe pit area after aj allmendinger drives off while still connected to the fuelling rig at the gold coast indy 300, australia. Brayton died from fracture at base of skull, autopsy shows. Unlike berger, whose injuries were lessened by quick and efficient. May 20, 2016 fyi, ethanol is not the same as methanol.
The 48th international 500mile sweepstakes was held at the indianapolis motor speedway in speedway, indiana on saturday, may 30, 1964. All 17 races on the 2007 schedule, including the indianapolis 500, will be run on 100 percent fuelgrade ethanol. It was a practice day at the indianapolis motor speedway last may, and rolando coronado, chief mechanic for andretti autosport car 26, paced the pit. This includes the driver, who in a crash may have methanol spilled on his suit. Safer at any speed featured articles from the latimes.
Indycar s adoption of e85 ethanol has not led to public acceptance of the fuel. With a methanol fire, the flames are generally smaller and everyone can see the crash itself. Mears, on fire from the waist up, jumped out of his car and ran to the pit. Indycar is currently postponed through may 9 when the series is scheduled to return to indianapolis. Why do indy cars run on ethanol as opposed to pump fuel. Nov 15, 2011 the drawback to using ethanol in race cars is the same is with using methanol, he tells epm. Nov 03, 2010 given that the pit crew was engulfed by invisible flames, im guessing they were probably off their game for the rest of the race. For the next seven weeks, indycar drivers will fire up their computers and take to tracks in a digital world. It won in phoenix, the second race of the season driven by buddy lazier, but was off the pace. Firefighters guide to invisible fire otherwise known as. The invisible fire that talladega nights mocked really happened. Dry chemical powder, carbon dioxide and alcoholresistant foam extinguish methanol fires by oxygen deprivation. The indycar series, currently known as the ntt indycar series under sponsorship, is the. When one looks at north american racing today and looks at the vast influence held by both the izod indycar world championship series, one finds it hard to believe that at one time, the series leader and patriarch, anton hulman tony george, that him and the guys who ran the indycar world were on.
Indianapolis 500 when his methanolpowered car caught on fire and. In the uk water is not used for methanol fires but see below. In 2005, driver paul dana brought the sponsorship of the ethanol promotion and. The indycar series is the first in motorsports to use a renewable fuel, setting the trend for the greening of racing.
In the 15 years between 1947 and 1964, drivers were killed in the indianapolis 500 or while practicing for it. It shows someone setting an invisible fire in a sink. I do not watch indycar races all that much, but i seen some pretty amazing crashes, and this playlist is full of them. Indianapolis indycar driver scott brayton died from a fracture at the base of his skull, according to autopsy results released yesterday. Hvm criticises safety crew over fire indycar autosport. The decision to permanently switch to methanol in american indycar racing was a result of the devastating crash and explosion at the 1964 indianapolis 500 which killed drivers eddie sachs and dave macdonald. The invisible fire that talladega nights mocked really. I think this is something that will really change the complexion of the sport for a long time to come, so this is big. The switch from methanol based fuel to ethanol has amazed almost everyone in the league. This includes the driver, who in a crash may have methanol spilled on his. Indycar s e85 ethanol fuels competition, if not public. We must continue to move forward with a thorough investigation, says randy bernard, ceo, indycar.
Why fire is a racing drivers biggest fear motorsport retro. A methanol fire cannot be seen in daylight, which is a problem. Indycars unofficial iracing challenge points standings. The fire hazard kinda scares me with that and methanol burns invisable. Ethanol and methanol burn invisibly unless a 2 percent denaturant is added.
Deadly may of 1973 still resonates at indianapolis motor speedway. Alot of indycar drivers were burned back when they ran methanol and they changed to e85 so you could see the fire if it happened. Methanol has been the standard choice in american open wheel racing since a firey crash at the 1964 indianapolis 500. Methanol fell out of use on the early 2000s as a fuel source for indycar teams as they eventually switched to e85 ethanol. The indycar series, currently known as the ntt indycar series under sponsorship, is the premier level of openwheel racing in north america.
Fyi, ethanol is not the same as methanol hemmings daily. Information on extinguishing ethanol fires link with plenty more info. Colton hertas indycar hauler catches fire on way to st. The mix of fuel, hot car parts and high speed was a recipe for disaster. The indycar series known as the verizon indycar series for sponsorship reasons is the premier level of american open wheel racing. Well, in indy car races in the us somehow comparable to f1 you may see some of these words becoming a reality but with a lot of pain instead of love. Typically the chief mechanic, guides driver into pit stall. For refiners, the use of methanol allows for the expansion of gasoline supply over a greater number of vehicles, and the upgrading of regular gasoline to high premium grades by increasing octane. In 1911 it was common practice for race cars to carry a driver and a copilot, the riding mechanic.
Uses fire extinguisher to spray a mixture of water and. Ethanol may have kept fatal indycar crash from being much. And another 20 drivers were killed elsewhere racing indy carsor champ cars, as. That was making light of one of the most terrifying fires that auto racing has. Its a fuel change that some in the ethanol industry hope. A wreck in the 1964 indianapolis 500 was exacerbated by poor visibility from the thick black smoke produced during a gasoline fire. Open wheel motorsports have used neat methanol as a fuel for several. Indycar driver robert wickens has taken a big step in his recovery from a horrific crash at the pocono. The indycar series opened its ethanolpowered season on march 24 under the lights at homesteadmiami speedway.
After the macdonaldsachs fire, in which both cars were loaded with gasoline, the united states auto club mandated that methanol, a less volatile fuel, be used exclusively. A series of performance fire tests were conducted on denatured ethyl alcohol, ethanol, 95% ethanol that was denatured with 5% gasoline and on gasohol defined by api as regular unleaded gasoline with up to 10% by volume ethyl alcohol. Indy car racing had previously used methanol for more than 40 years. People dont know that they are near a methanol fire until they feel the heat. Its parent company began in 1996 as the indy racing league irl, which was created by then indianapolis motor speedway owner tony george as a competitor to cart. Behind the shadowy billiondollar payouts of f1, nascar, and indycar we take an indepth look at who makes the moneyand how muchin the worlds toptier racing series. This is a total industrychanging driver safety solution, indycar president jay frye said. Just in time for the 94th running of the indianapolis 500, out comes a racing tl. As a safety feature, the methanol would burn with a color. Only getting back into indycars for the first time in a long time, i was also shocked by the fire, i was thinking wait, isnt it methanol.
Fuel the easiest way for indycar to leap toward the 900hp mark is through the sicklysweet smell of methanol. Indycar s e85 fuels competition, if not acceptance. If you cant see the flames burning through the bodies of both drivers and crew, you dont. Indycar drivers stop in baltimore as preparation for grand prix continues. Driver art pollard was killed in an accident during a practice. Mears, on fire from the waist up, jumped out of his car and ran to the pit wall, where a safety worker, not seeing the fire, tried to remove mears helmet. Why do indy cars run on ethanol as opposed to pump fuel like. This goes back into our racing past, in 1964 when there was a crash and a terrible fireball due to a ruptured fuel tank, early in the indy 500 and two prominent indycar drivers. Their driver probably received an invisible trophy. Drivers ntt indycar series, indy lights, indy pro 2000. A very famous portuguese poet once wrote that love is a fire that burns without being seen. Given that the pit crew was engulfed by invisible flames, im guessing they were probably off their game for the rest of the race.
Material was added to the fuel so it would burn with a color. In 2008, the indycar series merged with the champ car world series formerly cart. While i find the idea of an invisible fire to be a safety liability, it is interesting to note that the indy car circuit switched to neat methanol because it burns smokelessly. When he turns the light off, you can see the fire, turn the light back on, flame disappears. The drawback to using ethanol in race cars is the same is with using methanol, he tells epm. Indycar waited all the way up until 2006 to finally switch over to a 10%. This bizarre video explains why people tend to avoid using methanol fuel.
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