6 May 2011

Safety changes will ensure no repeat of V8 fireball

6:08 am on 6 May 2011

Changes to V8 Supercars planned for 2013 should ensure no repeat of the explosion in Perth at the weekend which left Australian driver Karl Reindler with burns.

V8 Supercar spokesman Cole Hitchcock says the Car Of The Future design, to be introduced in two years, will move the car's fuel tank further forward.

This would prevent any repeat of the fiery aftermath of the crash when Reindler's car stalled on the grid and was rear-ended by another car, piercing the fuel housing and sparking a massive fireball.

Reindler escaped with second degree burns to his hands and minor facial burns.

But the issue likely to come under most scrutiny is the reaction time of fire marshals, criticised publicly by senior driver Jason Bright and privately by many others in the sport with a review of the incident underway.