Thank you for the info on tires.
As to your second paragraph please refer to previous discussions dating back
to last Spring. This proposal, that's what it is - not passed yet, was of
interest to several current and former competitors. Another point that some
don't realize is that the Bonneville 200 MPH club is NOT a function of the
SCTA-BNI. They operate under their own rules and admission to that group is
by their decree only. So, by creating a new category and attendant classes
does not insure entry into that group. I truly believe that this proposal is
what the competitors want, just a place to race their cars on a more level
playing field (or salt base as the case may be).
Dan Warner
----- Original Message -----
From: <DrMayf@aol.com>
To: <land-speed@autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, September 08, 2000 9:03 AM
Subject: Tires & Nitrogen, and Category Thoughts..
> I have been wathing both threads with some interest. After doing a little
> thinking (very little, getting old), I remembered a cautionary note from
deep
> in the recesses of my mind on using Nitrogen to fill your race car tires.
> When I first went to work for Boeing, about a thousand years ago, I worked
in
> Flight Test at Boeing Field. While thee there was a terrible accident in
the
> hangar. A mechanic had the task of filling a demounted 727, or maybe it
was
> a 707, main landing gear tire with Nitrogen. Boeing used a cart with I
> believe it was 8 full K bottles (220 cu ft) of Nitrogen connected to a
> manifold and regulator. He connected to fillinf hose to the tire, which
was
> laying flat on a pallet and began the filling process in which he set the
> regulator to the proper pressure. The lunch bell rang and he went off to
> lunch. He returned to the task right after lunch and when he reached the
> tire, it exploded. It blew him completely in half with body parts going
every
> where. Of course he died instantly. Now, the investigation showed that the
> regulator leaked and permitted the tire and K bottles to come to an equal
> pressure, a very high pressure. The cautionary note for us is that the use
of
> nitrogen to fill our tires through regulators whic get very little
attention
> in the way of maintenance (prolly - assuming here), may prove to be a
> dangerous task indeed. So if you go this way and it is a good way, be very
> cautious in handling the regulator and oteher items and never leave the
> system connected to the tire.
>
> On categories,,,did I read that to have another class, there needs to be
at
> least three cars requiring the new class. How many does it take for a new
> category which may involve lots of new classes within that category? Are
> there that many cars waiting to run and are now just running for time? I
> have no doubt that the organizational effort needed to conduct more
classes
> is manageable because it is just book keeping. The only added effort is in
> training inspectors to recognize the non allowable hardware. Being
somewhat
> cynical, I have to ask this question: why is this being contemplated? How
> many cars are there that do not have a class in today's set of categories
and
> classes? Is this just and end run to allow a few more people to become
record
> holders with their present cars which are not competetive? Since I have a
> little bit of familarity with the girly Camaro of Keith's IU'll use it as
an
> example, hoping he doesn't get angry with me. Keith could very well go to
the
> salvage yard and acquire a more aerodynamic Firebird body fairly easily.
> Transferring the mechanicals to the new car would involve probably just
> effort and little outlay. I am sure that this capabi;lity exists for
others
> as well, so where's the beef? Why is beiong contemplated? Spell it out for
> me? Actually I don't care, but there seems to be a hidden agenda here. And
as
> fo Keith he is going to build a monster BMS vehicle soon, so I am sure
this
> doesn't affect him very much (I hope, he was the only car I could think
> of...and he is my bud).
>
> mayf
>
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