At the races, when Ryan Card doesn’t steer his Sharp mini late model, he works as a member of the track safety crew. The full-time firefighter is part of the safety personnel at Eriez Speedway in Erie, Pennsylvania, and The New Stateline Speedway in Busti, New York (pictured).
Steve Coons, who runs the track safety crews, requires personnel to be either firefighters or paramedics. Their equipment includes a pickup truck with a water tank, a side-by-side stocked with ABC fire extinguishers, medical equipment, and a Hurst Jaws of Life.
“Drivers feel safer, and they are safer, with a well-equipped safety team at a racetrack,” Card, 30, of Spring Creek, Pennsylvania, said. “We train by going over scenarios that we may encounter. There is never as much training as there should be for emergency personnel — it is a never-ending process.”
The safety crew does not limit its attention to safety solely to on-track action. Before the night’s festivities begin, they walk the pits, looking for potential issues. The crew checks items such as window nets, fire suits, helmets, onboard fire systems, and seat belts.
“We start with the newer drivers, and try to educate them about safety,” said Card, a lieutenant with the City of Corry Fire Department in Pennsylvania. “Sometimes, we have to teach old dogs new tricks. We once saw a street stock driver heading onto the track wearing a camo hunting jacket. When we see an infraction like this, we look for a solution. We try to find a fire suit. We don’t have the right to kick anyone out. Most drivers are good about our pointing out safety concerns.”
Ryan Card races Sharp mini late models, which provides him with a driver’s perspective when attending to racers in wrecked rides. He tries to lead by example with the safety he implements for himself. Card sits in a Kirkey full-containment seat, with a Simpson five-point harness. He wears a Simpson fire suit, Simpson Venator helmet, and a Simpson Hybrid head-and-neck restraint system. Card pays close attention to his shoes and gloves, which both come from Alpinestars.
“I tell other drivers that your gloves and shoes are very important — never drive without them on,” Card said. “If your car is on fire, you need your hands and feet to get out. If your hands are burned, you are screwed.”
Mike Adaskaveg has written hundreds of stories since the website’s inception. This year marks his 54th year of covering auto racing. Adaskaveg got his start working for track photographer Lloyd Burnham at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 1970. Since then, he’s been a columnist, writer, and photographer, in racing and in mainstream media, for several outlets, including the Journal Inquirer, Boston Herald, Stock Car Racing, and Speedway Illustrated. Among Adaskaveg’s many awards are the 1992 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Ace Lane Photographer of the Year and the 2019 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) George Cunningham Writer of the Year.
