JHarris - This is a perfect example of what I posted a few pages back. It's too easy to simply point to the absence of a transport unit and draw the immediate conclusion that safety was sub-par.
The Burlington event was an co-sanctioned IRA/MOWA show. We usually have one series or the other take a leadership role in staffing a co-sanctioned event. This one was managed by IRA President Steve Sinclair. Not only has Steve been around sprint car racing for his whole life as a promoter/series director etc... his day job is as an agent for K&K Insurance. He is the person who visits all tracks for K&K in the region and evaluates safety annually. Steve is also a very active member of the Sprint Car Safety Council. Steve is a leader in safety for the sport. He has seen it all. Not only because he is my agent... but also because he is a foremost authority of all things "safety-related" for cars that go in circles... he is my first and primary call for guidance on anything safety related - which is usually a weekly call.
With that being said, I started getting some texts and seeing some tweets about the lack of a transport ambulance at 34 while I stayed back to get Jacksonville ready for Sunday's race. My immediate response to the texts were "Sinclair is up there running it... there's more to the story I'm sure. If anybody is going to make sure things are adequately staffed it's Steve." After things kind of turned into a Twitter uproar Saturday night criticizing the track and criticizing our two race series, I was able to confirm with my IRA counterpart that.. yes.. there was more to the story.... Here's Steve Sinclair's post Sunday explaining the situation - all of which is 100% accurate..
Originally Posted by :
Just to correct a misconception from last night at 34 Raceway where it was made to sound by some as though we raced without proper medical in place. That is absolutely untrue, and that would never be allowed at any of our events, and anyone who knows us should be aware we take safety very serious, in fact we are one of only a few series who have ever traveled from event to event with their own safety team and equipment, and IRA was one of the first series to have additional med insurance available to our members. And we are always one of the first to upgrade rules in regards to safety, such as no hesitation in going with new roll cage bars, etc. Some tracks have transport units, some have a transfer system. Both meet mandated guidelines as long as proper staff, equipment, and a transfer plan are in place. Transfers are not uncommon. A transfer is where the crew on site begin treatment and call for a transport, utilizing a pre-arranged transfer plan. Then the patient is transferred to the transport unit while on race track owned property. The same medical/fire that was at the track, the New London Fire Dept, has provided the Raceway's fire/rescue, plus staffed and equipped their own multi-purpose vehicle plus stocking the track owned ambulance, and have done so for many years. All were present last night. Several other sanctions, national and regional, have competed there with the very same staff, and equipment as last night. They brought 5 people, some dedicated to fire, some med, but all capable and certified on med side. Plus we had our med/fire person and 2 equipped atv units. There absolutely was equipment on site, and a very well organized crew with stabilization capabilities and a transfer plan in place. I just wanted to clarify and correct any misconceptions. Thank You, Steve
A well-known racer and friend of mine who is also very concerned about driver safety had made some posts on Twitter critical of the situation - which at first blush very will might be valid criticism - changed his position after learning more today and tweeted:
Originally Posted by :
Great convo with @IRA_sprints today!@34Raceway definitely had a good fire/safety crew Sat night. Always things to learn when an accident happens on the driver/team side & the track/promotion side. We are all focused on making things better & as safe as possible for all involved.
The point I am trying to make here is this. YES, there are for sure some deficient rescue/emergency response operations at some race tracks. But you can't simply base all of your conclusions on whether or not there is a transport unit on site. Things like distance from track of a unit, what staff and equipment is actually at the track, what types of situations are they capable of handling and many other factors should come into play in that evaluation.
34 Raceway has an very well-planned and trained staff to handle a wide range of eventualities. There is thought and preparedness. That's what we should be asking for. Not simply whether there's a box on the premises. Again, this is all coming from a guy who is fortunate enough to have a staffed transport ambulance at all events. But I think it's unfair to take the easy shots at some places that don't... but might have an even more comprehensive plan and response than I do with my ambulance service.
Sorry for the length.