From James Allen
(12/27/22) Sacramento, CA … The Northern Auto Racing Club (NARC), sanctioning bodies and sprint car race promoters throughout California and the left coast have agreed to implement a fire suppression system rule in 2023. Effective May 1, 2023, all sprint cars will be required to run a fully functional system meeting a SFI 17.3 specification.
The safety-enhancing rule was discussed in depth with representatives of all major sanctioning bodies and dirt tracks at the Reno RPM Workshop and all agreed on the date moving forward. This includes the Sprint Car Challenge Tour, Kings of Thunder, Skagit Speedway and all tracks on the 2023 NARC 410 sprint car schedule.
The equipment specifications mirror what most major sprint car sanction bodies are requiring during the 2023 season.
A complete breakdown of the rule will be published in the NARC rulebook in early January. Listed below is the baseline for the rule:
A fire suppression system that meets the SFI 17.3 specification must be installed and functional in all race cars at all times when competing at Northern Auto Racing Club events after May 1, 2022.
The fire suppression system must include a thermal trigger and a manual trigger. Both triggers must be mounted in the driver’s compartment. The thermal trigger must be in the lower area of the drivers compartment forward of the seat near the area of the fuel pump. The manual trigger must be mounted within reach of the driver on the forward left-hand side of the cockpit. A minimum of one nozzle must be mounted in the lower area of the cockpit forward of the seat.
The DOT approved cylinder manufactured of aluminum or steel must be securely mounted to the frame per the manufacturer’s instructions. The cylinder must have a minimum capacity of five-pounds.
The system must be fully charged and display a legible and valid SFI 17.3 and manufacturer label, easily viewable at any time by NARC and/or race track officials. Cylinders that are beyond useful certification date must be inspected, serviced and re-labeled by the manufacture.
If a nozzle is connected to the cylinder with a line, the line must be steel or steel reinforced and must be triggered at the end of the line.
(NOTE: SFI is a certification that demonstrates that the manufacturer certifies the racing equipment has been laboratory tested to meet or exceed SFI safety specifications. This gives consumers and sanctioning bodies a way to differentiate a certified product from one that is untested.)
Approved Manufacturer’s:
Lifeline Fire & Safety USA
Safecraft Safety Equipment, Martinez, CA
Safety Systems Inc. (Firebottle), Ft Myers, FL
Spa Technique Inc. Indianapolis, IN