Fuel Tank Mounting

Tim · 10/23/24, 9:04 AM

OK, so yesterday was my first opportunity to watch the Saturday night Lawrenceburg USAC Sprint race. During a flip the fuel tank on the 15x car "liberated" from the car. If memory serves, this is at least the third fuel tank to come out of a car during a wreck since sprint weeks. Does anyone know why these tanks are coming out? Is it a chassis design/fabrication/mounting method issue, or is it a fuel tank manufacturing/design issue or hardware/fastener issue or something else? I know I have never been a fan of the mounting means on the "Outlaw" tanks, so much so that I mount my tanks with significantly more integrity.

What I'm afraid of is rather than decipher the root cause of this issue the powers-that-be will move to require some sort of tether arrangement like they did with the front ends.

Thoughts?

Tim Simmons

kendirt · 10/23/24, 12:46 PM

Once one gets chucked into the grandstands they'll figure something better out right quick.

My opinion, fuel cells either need to stay attached to the car or live with what we have now. A detached fuel cell tethered to a crashing car creates more problems than it solves.

Late Models went through this starting like twenty years ago. Now every major series mandates FIA-approved cells and there's about no wiggle room in the mounting system.

TQ29m · 10/23/24, 1:27 PM

I will agree with you on most of this, and as you say, the tether is not the solution, but, the tank is usually heavy, and doesn't bounce far, but I think luck has been on the fans side for a long time, I don't have a solution for a better choice at the moment, but I also don't have any skin in the game anymore, but would be interested in a plan to look at any solution

Frank Reiner · 10/23/24, 4:42 PM

As long as the overall layout of this group of cars (Sprint, Midget, Silver Crown, Mini, Micro) is mandated by the various sanctioning bodies, and is accepted by the insurers, the exposed location of the fuel tank will remain an exposed location.

Given the required wheelbases, engine location, engine plate-to-rear axle distance, driver location, and a tail-tank stipulation, the inherent hazard will remain.
It can be mitigated by strengthening 1) the mounting of the tank shell, and 2) the rear bumper/tank guard.

10/23/24, 1:27 PM	#3
TQ29m Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 6,421	I will agree with you on most of this, and as you say, the tether is not the solution, but, the tank is usually heavy, and doesn't bounce far, but I think luck has been on the fans side for a long time, I don't have a solution for a better choice at the moment, but I also don't have any skin in the game anymore, but would be interested in a plan to look at any solution __________________ "Being old, isn't half as much fun, as getting there"! Ole Robert I!

10/23/24, 4:42 PM	#4 Re: Fuel Tank Mounting
Frank Reiner Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 106	As long as the overall layout of this group of cars (Sprint, Midget, Silver Crown, Mini, Micro) is mandated by the various sanctioning bodies, and is accepted by the insurers, the exposed location of the fuel tank will remain an exposed location. Given the required wheelbases, engine location, engine plate-to-rear axle distance, driver location, and a tail-tank stipulation, the inherent hazard will remain. It can be mitigated by strengthening 1) the mounting of the tank shell, and 2) the rear bumper/tank guard.