NASCAR’s fire-safety measures for its Next Gen cars

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After a string of accidents involving Next Gen cars catching fire, NASCAR have released some new fire-safety measures:

Intumescent coatings: These coatings provide lightweight, passive fire protection, and industrial standard SFI 54.1 compliant versions can now beused on various parts such as the underside of the lower rush panels, the upper surface of the rocker box and inside the exhaust cover pane. This is an optional requirement.

Front Weight Box/Splitter Seal: To prevent tyre debris from entering the splitter area, a lateral seal or dam must be present between the rear of the front clip weight box, and the top of the splitter panel. To be effective, the seal must also cover the entire width of the engine panel. This is a mandatory requirement.

Back Stop Panel Material:The lower section, of the right side back stop panel, is to be trimmed and substituted with a 14-gauge panel of stainless steel, which is to be further mounted within a polymer panel. The polymer panel must also begin one inch below the centerline. This is a mandatory requirement.

Exhaust Installation: Maximization of the clearance between the exhaust and the floor of the rocker box is recommended. This may be achieved using a suitable joint adjustment tool and is an optional requirement.

It remains to be seen if NASCAR’s recommendations can effectively address the fires in its Next Gen cars.