Fuel tank change coming for V8s

SYDNEY (AAP) - Changes to V8 Supercars planned for 2013 are set to ensure no repeat of the horrifying explosion in Perth which left driver Karl Reindler with burns.
The Car Of The Future design, to be introduced in two years, will move the V8 Supercar's fuel tank further forward.
This would prevent any repeat of the fiery aftermath of last weekend's crash, when the West Australian's car stalled on the grid and was rear-ended by another car, piercing the fuel housing and sparking a massive fireball.
The 26-year-old was forced to flee his burning wreck and was lucky to escape with second degree burns to his hands and minor facial burns.
The driver of the other car, Steve Owen, also escaped serious injury.
A review of the actual accident and whether officials reacted quickly enough was launched immediately.
But one of the key elements to preventing a similar explosion has been planned for some time.
And V8 officials say the safety features of their race cars were proven, as both drivers walked away from perhaps the most spectacular accident in the sport's history, with their cars left fire-whitened write-offs.
"In the Car Of The Future design, which was unveiled 18 months ago, the fuel tank has been moved well forward for that very reason," V8 Supercars' spokesman Cole Hitchcock said.
"For an impact of that sheer magnitude and the subsequent explosion, for both drivers to walk away virtually unharmed, from an integrity of car position, the outcome is exactly as we would have hoped."
Car safety and integrity is one of the elements which will be examined in the investigation.
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.
Australian motorsport's governing body CAMS, V8 Supercars and the West Australian Sporting Car Club which run Perth's Barbagallo Raceway are conducting the review.
CAMS have not put a timeframe on when the inquiry's results will be known.
"Given there were no injuries, we'll take our time to look thoroughly at what happened and learn from it," a CAMS spokesman said.