jlcvt

Attention New NCCC Rulebook change for Fire Extinguishers.

Please read below-

PER NCCC VP COMP- this safety change will go into effect MAY 1, 2009.
We are implementing a rulebook safety change: To only use METAL BRACKET and STRAPPED FIRE EXTINGUISHERS with GAUGES to indicate FULL.

jaa1992

Well craptastic. I'll be forced to spend hundreds of dollars just to be leagal again.

I have yet to see "metal bracket and strapped" fire extingushers for a c4 that are reasonable.

My plastic $15 bracket and extinguisher are due for replacement this year though.
Maybe someone can come up with a reasonable cost solution to this.

Naahh the price will go up to $200 - $300

jlcvt

If anyone has any information on any reasonable priced equipment please let me know.

DonF

I bought a metal strap holder from my local Ace Hardware store that works fine with the small Fire Ext. The box was pretty dusty but they had a few & under $20.00

BrianCunningham

Thanks

I passed it along to my club

burners

About $55-75 for the bracket
http://cmc.speeddirect.com/items.asp...atus=0&Tp=&Bc=

and $70 on up for extinguishers
http://cmc.speeddirect.com/items.asp...atus=0&Tp=&Bc=

NavyVet

Assuming that everyone competing in NCCC Group-2 and above (or all roadsters in High Speed events) already has a hard mount and simply needs to replace a FE that has a plastic bracket & strap with one that has a metal bracket & strap, it should not cost much at all. There are a lot of sources, but here are ones I can personally recommend because I use them:

STD FE:

http://www.ioportracing.com/Merchant...ory_Code=FE-HH

OR

HALON FE (NO RESIDUE)

http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/pro....asp?RecId=439

Then, if you never had a solid mount, which has always been required (i.e., screwed, clamped, bolted, etc.), try:

C5/C6 SEAT MOUNT (in front of passenger seat using factory seat mount studs/nuts):

http://www.r-dracing.com/R-D%20Racin...unting-kit.htm

OR

http://www.bkauto.com/corvette/fire_...s_corvette.php (Also a C4 mount on same page)

I can't believe this is a big deal. Safety is safety and no one should have ever been using a Home Depot FE with a little plastic strap/bracket anyway - it's a projectile inside the cabin waiting to happen.

Paul Hamersly
NCCC Roadrunner RCD

jwt1603

I got my FE with a metal bracket at Home Depot with no problems. You can get it with the right rating and a gauge with a metal bracket for 30 bucks give or take. You just have to get the one labeled for marine use. That's the one that has a metal bracket. The residental ones have the plastic bracket.

I attached that to an RD Racing mount that goes in under the front seat mount, it uses the seat studs. There are a lot of different ways to mount it once you have a metal bracket.

I agree that the plastic mount in a moving vehicle is dangerous.

racingfast

WELL said Paul...... Good sources for this required equipment.

And note-- ALL the FE's in the pics have gauges that tell if they are charged! What a concept. And JWT-- thanks for the Joey Logano sponsored unit too.

Bottom line is SAFETY... Were we mean when we discontinued allowing DOT helmets? It was decided to be in YOUR best interest. I remember talking to a guy at the track complaining of that move and in the same breath he was telling us what he pays for brake pads.. HELLO???

None of us EVER want to use the FE on our car or anyone else's....but--- if and when that happens, I am sure you want it to be fully charged and right where you need it.

Brian Gallagher
East Region RCD

MungoZ06

One can get the Amerex extinguishers as pictured at your local fire safety supply store (they outfit all the places that need Firex's ...
Double strap bracket as shown with Firex should be under $50.00

rasrboy

Not to scare you off, but we had a NCCC TT event at Nelson's a few years back and a guy lost it coming into turn 11 (Very fast) and got into the tire wall very hard. The car went airborn and flipped and landed upside down. The FE had broken the plastic strap upon impact and flew out of the car and over the tire wall at us waiting in the staging lane along with getting sprayed by glass.

Thank god there was no fire and he wasn't hurt! Home Depot is the place to get the above mentioned steel one.

Aaron

greendot

Hey Aaron, that sounds like a turquoise C4. Big ouch.

Home Depot in my are does NOT have extinguishers with metal brackets. Online they do list a separate bracket, but I've had poor luck with mixing brands of brackets and FE's and getting proper fit.

We are doing a group buy deal with the local FE sales and service business. I hope the ones we got priced have the dual straps.

Bruce

BrianCunningham

How about this one, nice and low

http://hardbarusa.com/hardbar/produc...products_id=93

Bill Dearborn

The new rule doesn't improve safety at all. I have a BK FE mount for in front of the seat. To this I have a Home Depot dry powder FE that meets the rules and is fastened to the BK mount with a metal Home Depot FE bracket. The metal bracket fits the FE but it only has one snap ring that goes around the middle of the FE. The nozzle end of the FE fits in a notch at the end of the bracket but is loose in one direction. In the car I can pull up on the FE nozzle and could more than likely twist the metal snap ring enough to open it up or let the FE come loose. In any incident that involved any vertical movements of the car the mass of the FE would probably apply enough force to the snap ring to break the FE loose and allow it to fly around the cabin. The other problem with this mount is the FE isn't reachable from the driver's seat unless the lap belt is unfastened and the driver lifts themselves out of the seat to reach it. So even if the car is on fire it is safer to get out of the car Vs trying to reach over and get to the FE. While you are trying to reach it you could be out of the car. Better to let it burn to the ground than burn with it.

The other thing that needs to be considered is the gauge on a FE doesn't mean much. Anybody that has taken a boating safety course can tell you the powder in dry powder FEs tends to settle and cake together and become useless over a period of time. Boating courses teach people to periodically shake their FEs to keep the powder inside the FE useable. The gauge will indicate the FE is charged but if it is used all it will do is blow clear gas out of the unit while the powder stays inside the FE. So tech inspection people should not only check the gauge on the FE but also shake it to see if the fill moves around properly inside it. I believe that is one of the things the Coast Guard can do when they stop a boat for inspection. Almost always guaranteed to get somebody a ticket for not having an operating FE on board.

A single strap is basically useless. The 2 strap brackets that are shown above only fit the Amerex FEs so are not useable with the FEs that you buy at HD or Lowes. If the rule is changed to use 2 strap brackets there is only one FE choice.

Over the years I also found out the quick release snaps tend to get hit by people's feet and come loose. This results in some surprises under hard braking when the FE starts to move around in the footwell. Since I have passengers when I am instructing I decided to remove the FE when doing HPDEs and only install it when doing NCCC events where it is required as I consider most FE mounting methods unsafe and more of a potential hazard than a fire.

Bill

JaGsC5

I'm always amazed how folks whine about spending more than $20 for anything safety related including shopping for hours to find the cheapest, discounted helmet to protect their priceless head. Of course money is no object when buying tires, wheels, brake components, ect.. Most don't realise that even if your not racing wheel to wheel and only driving 8/10 at a HPDE you can still wreck a car seriously by having something occur that is completely out of your control. I've seen some really strange things happen at the track. Myself, I had a radiator hose blow apart in the middle of a high speed corner at a non competitive event. With all four wheels wet with antifreeze the car was backwards and spinning quicker than a blink of an eye. Fortunately the car stayed off the wall but it could have easily hit it very hard. Don't think it can't happen to you because your not racing wheel to wheel. This hobby at it's lowest level is expensive, except it. Spend a little money on safety. If not for you than atleast for your family and friends.

NASCAR314

In 2008, in the United States, there were 41,059 deaths resulting from traffic accidents on public roads. That is the Lowest number since 1994 when it was 40,716 persons killed in traffic accidents on public roads.

So we are talking about Over 3,400 people per Month Dying on public roads (In the U.S. alone)

Point Is: I feel much safer on the track than I do driving to the track! I've had more "close calls" driving to the track than on the track!

I've already conformed to the new rule, based on common sense. NCCC needs these rules to keep insurance costs in check. The "above" stats are why we all pay so much for car insurance.

Drive safe.....to and from the track, as well as on the track!

$50 for a metal bracket is a "drop in the bucket" for our hobby.

Bill Dearborn

What I was implying with my comments is the NCCC FE rule is not and never has been a very good rule. Attaching a FE in the car as specified is incrementally better than useless. If they really want fire protection then they should require an effective system not something that is window dressing. In my opinion that means a fire system and that can be initiated from the drivers seat without loosening the belts and puts fire retardent in the correct places to protect the driver. That kind of system costs a lot more than placing a FE on a metal bracket in front of your seat. With the tremendous performance of modern cars which makes a good number of them more potent than the modified cars from yesteryear the rule should be applied equally to all classes of cars whether or not they are running low or high speed events.

Bill

NASCAR314

That will never work, who will put a "full out" on-board fire supression system in a normally daily driver Corvette just so the can autocross 2 weekends a year at thier local Corvette Club's events!

But I understand your thinking. Probably much safer to have plenty of fire protection devices placed around the track with manned corner stations to react to an incident on the track, or, parking lot.