| Knoxville Safety |
| Thoughts on Safety Crews |
| 7/28/2009 - There was fiery nasty crash at Knoxville Speedway last weekend. We weren't there but I would like to comment on safety crews, good and bad. Having become a race fan at Eldora Speedway, I thought all tracks had safety crews like theirs and took them for granted. It didn't take long when a first time trip (and last time trip) to a particular track in Illinois became a learning experience and not one I particularly liked. At this track, a winged sprint flew over the bank and came to rest in front of us; the driver clearly knocked unconscious. It took more than 5 minutes to even roll a safety vehicle. They removed the driver to a gurney and put him in an ambulance. He was still not moving. The ambulance made its way to the backside of the concession stand and waited there till the driver regained consciousness. He climbed out of the ambulance and went about his merry way. The amount of time that it took them to respond was unacceptable. The fact that they sat there waiting and were not on their way to the hospital is ridiculous. Not insisting that this driver be medically checked was unconscionable. The work that the Knoxville Raceway Safety Heroes did last weekend was absolutely amazing and at the same time, as it should be at every track that ever has a car make a lap. If you have watched the video, these guys say they just did their job and that is exactly what they did. They have obviously trained and gone over this scenario in their minds many times hoping it would never happen but when it did, they reacted out of instinct. The response of the track's safety crew means as much to me as watching the race. Each race I hope that we don't see them in action, but just like the smoke detectors keeping you and your loved ones safe in your home, it is comforting to know that they are there in working order...just in case. Congratulations and thank you to Cappy and the crew at Knoxville, Eldora's staff and the many other tracks that take the safety of its drivers and crews seriously. We do notice and we do appreciate what you do. |
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