BITD Fire

[It'sYourLegacy]

I never knew about fire suits. I don't get involved with what the other classes are doing. The idea everyone should have known is ridiculous. We would have known if we were informed. David, your more of a diplomat than I'd be. I'm glad to hear the change is going to be implemented in a reasonable manner.

These guys have no other choice than to be "diplomatic" (now).
Anyone with common sense knew full well (for years) that this class was being run 'on the cheap' at the roll-of-the-dice expense of all connected with it in terms of safety.
Things would have been no different in 2017 had the title of this thread not become a reality or had an 8-year old not (literally) climbed in to an unqualified high horsepowered golf cart car and raced it.

They are the willing fall guys for every single manufacturer, sponsor, organizer and racer/team owner in this sport.

The face of UTV safety in 2016:
"...UTV's are responsible for as many fires as any other class and your safety while in and working around them is essential to your safety as well as the benefit of the sport..."

If this would have been offered at the very first driver's meeting many years go and (immediately) something was actually done about it before the first race even started?

Nobody would have blinked.

Now we find a bunch of people (ashamedly) pointing fingers at but one individual (by design) while explaining to their own kids that they all: "knew absolutely nothing about responsible safety in racing" until some guy showed up at the end of the 2016 season and "forced us understand the concept/adapt same in to our racing programs".

This is why our children have absolutely no respect for many of us whatsoever (and shouldn't).

 

[It'sYourLegacy]

Tatum:

I want ANY kid to sign up for a UTV race and to be at least reasonably safe in having done so.
Evidently, there is nobody else here willing to accurately asses the failure of my generation to make this a reality (given that the up and coming evidently has no clue).
Each succeeding generation has this burden.
As the raw power under our children's arses increases rapidly like no other period in offroad history?
That burden/responsibility to build (not buy) a legitimately safe racing legacy became exponentially heavier and more urgent.

If you want to whitewash that responsibility in any unspoken fears for your own children's safety in a UTV or what could possibly happen on a slow trip across the lawn in front of our houses to anybody's?
Go ahead.

We're talking (now) 8-year olds racing with barely a word offered (anywhere) in opposition along with nearly EVERYBODY feigning ignorance (for years) as to how professional race teams operate safely every single day not because they are eventually 'forced' to...but because they want to every single race.

Let's all put down the crack pipe and get to work for our kid's sake.

 

[the stripping shop]

I never knew about fire suits. I don't get involved with what the other classes are doing. The idea everyone should have known is ridiculous. We would have known if we were informed. David, your more of a diplomat than I'd be. I'm glad to hear the change is going to be implemented in a reasonable manner.

SCR56: VEHICLE REFUELING All vehicles (including car, truck, motorcycles, utv’s, atv’s) may only be refueled with vented fuel cans or gravity fed fuel towers. Pressurized fuel systems may be used for Cars & Trucks Only. Must be approved by Best In The Desert Overhead Fuel Towers and Pressure Systems: Fuel towers must be at least 20’ from the racecourse. All towers must have a MANNED spring loaded dead man valve (ball, gate, butterfly) to automatically close the line when the handle is released. The hose must have a break-a–way feature in the event the vehicle departs with the hose still attached.
1. Fuel Pressure System and Overhead towers must have double redhead dry brake with return back to the fuel system tank.
2. No larger than a -10 vent line with a visible check valve
3. (2) 20lb fire extinguishers (1) manned by a dedicated person or persons – strongly recommended that a fire extinguisher class be taken. May become mandatory in future
4. All Teams using fuel pressure system or fueling tower must register with Best In The Desert so their systems can be inspected.
5. Catch Can for fuel vent line, fuel must not come in contact with ground and be controlled.
6. Fuel Pressure systems must have a 10lb max pressure relief valve for the tank.
All teams not compliant to these rules are subject to a penalty up to disqualification.
Best In The Desert recommends refueling and pit teams wear fire suit and helmet.
Best In The Desert reserves the right to disallow any fueling system deemed unsafe.
Mandatory at all pits must have a minimum of Two (2) 10lb extinguishers at refueling area.
Mandatory at all pits a fuel catch is required example, carpet, tarp, cardboard and tub or bucket to catch overflow. We highly recommend that you have the fuel tower grounded.

George it was recommend refueling and pit teams wear a fire suit and helmet for 2016 season.

Dave the safety guy cory did know about refueling rule but made his own rule for 2016 but had to discuss with someone at BITD about rule for the utv for 2016. Why would you say it was your fault. There is a chain of command in BITD and the chain was broken for the UTV guys.

 

[It'sYourLegacy]

SCR56: VEHICLE REFUELING All vehicles (including car, truck, motorcycles, utv’s, atv’s) may only be refueled with vented fuel cans or gravity fed fuel towers. Pressurized fuel systems may be used for Cars & Trucks Only. Must be approved by Best In The Desert Overhead Fuel Towers and Pressure Systems: Fuel towers must be at least 20’ from the racecourse. All towers must have a MANNED spring loaded dead man valve (ball, gate, butterfly) to automatically close the line when the handle is released. The hose must have a break-a–way feature in the event the vehicle departs with the hose still attached.
1. Fuel Pressure System and Overhead towers must have double redhead dry brake with return back to the fuel system tank.
2. No larger than a -10 vent line with a visible check valve
3. (2) 20lb fire extinguishers (1) manned by a dedicated person or persons – strongly recommended that a fire extinguisher class be taken. May become mandatory in future
4. All Teams using fuel pressure system or fueling tower must register with Best In The Desert so their systems can be inspected.
5. Catch Can for fuel vent line, fuel must not come in contact with ground and be controlled.
6. Fuel Pressure systems must have a 10lb max pressure relief valve for the tank.
All teams not compliant to these rules are subject to a penalty up to disqualification.
Best In The Desert recommends refueling and pit teams wear fire suit and helmet.
Best In The Desert reserves the right to disallow any fueling system deemed unsafe.
Mandatory at all pits must have a minimum of Two (2) 10lb extinguishers at refueling area.
Mandatory at all pits a fuel catch is required example, carpet, tarp, cardboard and tub or bucket to catch overflow. We highly recommend that you have the fuel tower grounded.

George it was recommend refueling and pit teams wear a fire suit and helmet for 2016 season.

Dave the safety guy cory did know about refueling rule but made his own rule for 2016 but had to discuss with someone at BITD about rule for the utv for 2016. Why would you say it was your fault. There is a chain of command in BITD and the chain was broken for the UTV guys.

If but one will fall on the sword?..everyone will be richly rewarded.

"Recommending" the grounding of a fuel tower is just as ridiculous as "recommending" the fire suit and helmet REQUIRED when it fails to be operated safely.

Again, let's hear from the so-called "experts" in this sport (at the very least name them) who were more than eager to lend their "expertise" when the time came (and went) to add the most popular offroad vehicles on the planet to racing safety programs.

The silence from these these long respected gray-haired 'mentors' has (suddenly) became deafening.

 

[BajaBoundMoto]

Wow, almost speechless.

Keep up the great work David!

 

[It'sYourLegacy]

Wow, almost speechless.

Keep up the great work David!

"Speechless"...really???

I was more 'tongue-tied' when this well known racer claimed (earlier) that everybody who was anybody were well aware of what was about to happen this season/the glaring lack of proper safety procedures both in 2016 AND 2017 contrary to what is being 'spun' now...

I am not going to drop any names....but I was concerned about his early on this season and 1 person said call another person. That person said it didnt apply to us this season that there would be a new rule about it come 2017.

...and the unnecessary lack of proper safety procedures in 2016 coupled with poorer teams (intentionally) unable to receive a heads up/save their money/prepare for mammoth extra costs in 2017...was all about a very small cog in the much larger wheel (somehow) "forgetting" ???

Somebody must believe that a good number of 1900 class racers and their crews (not to mention the fans) are awfully darn gullible (or worse).

 

[It'sYourLegacy]

...then again, any monkey wrench that the more sponsored and financially well-equipped teams can throw in to the works of those teams hoping to be the first true working man's (fan's) champion...why not?

Most of the more 'well off' teams have no problem whatsoever affording the equipment or picking up an extra team member or two to deal with it every race so that no time is ever lost in assembling or running their pits.

Any responsible team lacking this rare support and seeking to race safely in 2017 is now (suddenly) at a distinct disadvantage (period) while others might very well simply drop out all together rather than risking their crew's lives using a shameful "grace period".

A very well thought out winning strategy indeed for those with the uncommon support to make this "sudden switch to safety" work out very well for their own programs...at the competitive expense of everybody else in the class.

 

[CSG]

Your tinfoil hat has a leak...

 

[It'sYourLegacy]

Your tinfoil hat has a leak...

Recent season championships and races have been decided by as little as allowing the top 10 teams to forgo but one initial qualifying session or even a (heaven forbid) 'lottery' to even out the next season's first race for ALL teams seeking the crown (versus the ridiculous previous year's order of finish designed to benefit the factories only).

In 2017, (unless their CEOs are idiots) top factory-sponsored teams will be afforded every conceivable means of support possible to adapt rapidly to these new rules. "Feigned ignorance" will overnight morph in to the exact same extremely efficient fuel safety programs that the larger truck classes are running.

Attacking others versus discussing the facts here is an effective tactic.
Unfortunately, it only cements further any fan base rooting for "anybody but the factory or aftermarket guys" which was so vividly illustrated by this "phantom" safety rule fiasco in 2016 (not to mention children racing, helicopter rescues and too many others to count).

Please bring us a privateer champion in 2017.

 

[BiggJim]