Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

I say run whatever size tank you want,,,,if the race is for 50 laps you had better have enough fuel or you loose!

To say smaller tanks are safer is like saying 5 gallons is enough. BS ,,silver crown and late models run bigger tanks and look at the size of the tanks on outlaw sprints back in the 80's. The rule should be ,the drivers know how many laps before the race so plan for it. If its not safe with the bigger tanks make it safe period. NO MORE FUEL STOPS!

It's an easy fix. No fuel tank rules are needed, tell the teams that if you want to win, plan accordingly because there will be no fuel stops or open reds. 

Thank you ,,,how hard can it be. If they want to gamble with less fuel or smaller tanks so be it. You must have enough fuel no matter what or you go to the work area for more fuel and go to the back of the pack!

Its like if a jet airliner takes off with what they think will make it to the destination and weather delays the flight then who pays?

No problem with fuel stops. Sometimes they are needed. Very seldom see one at Knoxville except Saturday night at the nationals. 

A 33 gal tank will not run a 35=40 lap race on a track the size of Knoxville.  They can not do it.  Ask someone that races there.  Just think of a feul sop as the same thing as a stop for a red flag with a crash.  It is not a problem with most races on short tracks.

Like I said, tell the teams to plan accordingly if they want the check and noteriety of winning, they will make it work. Put the damn genie back in the bottle!

Most if not all tanks are now 28 gallon. They were 30 gallon, before that 35 gallon. But at 35 gallon that is alot more weight change to the car rear weight coming off the car during a run. Also a lot easier to rip a fuel tank off a car in flip at the start of the race.

I personally would like the WoO, All Stars to run 50 lap races, but the drivers choose when to go into the pits to get fuel on any yellow flag or red. Not have red flag for fuel.

So then, you kick your dog everyday regardless.......sounds like you shouldn't have a dog....

I'm not talking about Knoxville, I'm ok with the 50 lap distance (with the 1/2 way stop) in the biggest race of the year.

I'm talking about a lap 3 fuel stop at Port Royal after 3 yellows and a lap 12 fuel stop at Selinsgrove after 2 yellows.
The sport needs to do better than that.

Ok so veryone plans ahead, all the teams put on the biggest fuel tank in existence and fill it to the tippy top, but guess what, the race has so many caution laps that the entire field still uses all the fuel and one by one they start running out of fuel before the end of the race!  Guess what would have kept this from happening? A FUEL STOP !

As was already stated, fuel stops are a necessity in Sprintcar racing, fans don't really like it but contrary to Larsonfan who has never heard of a fuel stop on the 13th lap, the earlier the better. I hate a fuel stop with 6 laps left that actually changes the outcome of the race

My opinion - for what it's worth - I'd rather see the larger tanks but I understand the weight thing - BUT arn't these guys suppose tp be smart enough to adjust the weight? I'm OK with the fuel stops if the officals deem them necessary, BUT Only allow fuel to be added NO OTHER ADJUSTMENTS.

Part of the challenge of a sprint car used to be you had this big old tail tank and had to setup around fuel consumption as well as track conditions.  In the 80s someone figured out we can use a midget tank and still make the 40 laps but not a whole lot more.  Late 80s-90s and now they just build the car to be that way.  Eventually Fuel consumption doubled or more in the motors and now these smaller tanks are not large enough to make it.   WoO a couple years ago mandated a slightly larger tank,  But it's still not big enough.

Im for larger tanks, not fuel stops whic even then in some conditions may be necessary.

yet the locals ran a 25 lap feature on the small 25 and 28 gallon tanks just 2 weeks ago with no cars running out of fuel with a race with a complete restart, a closed red flag, and a yellow or two....

It's about rules and enforcement of rules.  Knoxville has rules for the weekly shows where they will run XX laps of caution combined with green flag laps before they will have a fuel stop.  Here is what the rules state in the rulebook pertaining to fueltanks.  No matter how many yellows there have been, I can't think of a single weekly show where we've had a "fuel only" stop in the past 10 years except maybe one (a 305 feature that took well over an hour to complete (yet they only refueled one time in that hour+ and no cars ran out of fuel that I can remember)).

1.4-FUEL TANKS*

A. The same fuel cell/tank must be used in the same car for the entire race program. The

fuel cell/tank may be changed at the discretion of Knoxville Raceway Officials. Fuel

tanks must be securely fastened. Any means of mounting the tank must meet the

approval of the officials. A fuel cell with bladder and foam will be the only type fuel

cells permitted. The fuel cell must be of one piece construction of cross-link

polyethylene plastic. Alterations and modifications will not be permitted.

B. All teams racing at Knoxville Raceway will be encouraged to run a 33+ gallon fuel

tank and bladder. At all events 33 gallons of fuel will be considered as part of the

formula utilized when determining the total number of laps prior to refueling.

C. Fuel additives, including but not limited to nitro, nitro methane and/or nitrous oxide

injection will not be permitted. Pure methanol and/or other approved fuels will be

permitted. Fuel samples may be taken from time-to-time for inspection and analysis.

The bottom line is have a rule and enforce it.  If the Outlaw teams run out of fuel and locals start winning all their races, maybe they will start running the bigger tanks and actually filling them up.... 

Really I'm your best buddy from Pa? Thanks Buddy!

Yep

I know the large tanks make the car handle like a pig, everyone has the same problem, so run the small tank, run out and get pushed to infield. as i said sprint race not napcar

Who's to say Blaney didn't make changes also????????? Besides Blaney chose too soft of a tire and burned them up. Saw it with my own two eyes. That's what cost him the race. He was screwed from the start as you must run the same tire in the feature as you do in the heat. Fuel stops are just a fact of sprintcar racing as are 2 lap rules and 2 minute work area rules.