Incredible Racing History: This Film Shows How Firestone Worked To Develop The Racing Fuel Cell More Than 50 Years Ago

After the deaths of world renowned racers like Fireball Roberts as well as others, the racing area lastly decided that enough was enough and that a new remedy to controlling as well as carrying gas was required. USAC took the lead and also mosted likely to Firestone to see what they might find out in establishing a “risk-free” gas container. The firm had large experience in creating bladderized gas cells for aircraft and also various other applications and also they were an all-natural fit for this work. They were additionally neck deep in racing then as well, so all of it made complete feeling.

The work was not as direct as you would certainly anticipate, generally as a result of the fact that the gas control requirements of a race car were totally various than that of an airplane. With the addition of a bladder, it standard baffles were gotten rid of from the fuel tank which left the gas free to slosh back and forth with some physical violence. This dismayed the weight equilibrium of the vehicle and also usually starved the engine. You’ll see some extraordinary video of that as they ran an Indy Car with clear plastic fuel storage tanks to evaluate the fuel motion.

It was the Scott Paper Company that offered the service (astonishingly). Their growth of the polyurethane foam called “Safe Foam” was the key to making the fuel cell operate in the 1960 and it is still the trick to making them work (typically) today.

Once the idea was verified, tested, as well as shows to be efficient, essentially every auto racing body in the world called for fuel cells to maintain their rivals risk-free.

We frequently know why we use particular things in auto racing but this is the rare possibility to see exactly how all of it came together. Give it a watch!

Take a look at this film on how Firestone aided create the auto racing gas cell–