Hartford local Dan Brandt brought out a ton of racers and their race cars to the Hartford Area Fire and Rescue last Thursday.  Throughout the demonstration, Brandt pointed out key areas on the vehicles for rescue workers to focus on in order to rescue the driver quickly and efficiently. (Photo/Melissa Voss)

Melissa Voss | Editor

Over the past couple weeks, the I-90 Speedway west of Hartford has been picking up speed for their summer season.  With that, many local racers have been coming to Hartford to compete every weekend.  Although the sport may be seen as a form of entertainment, there are several safety precautions that must be made by drivers and their crew.  

But sometimes, major accidents are in need of the local fire department to ensure the safety of the driver.  With the major differences in structure and mechanics from your everyday car, firefighters and rescue services need to be aware of how these race cars work in order to safely evacuate the driver from their vehicle.

On Thursday, June 4, local I-90 Speedway racers held a demonstration at the Hartford Area Fire and Rescue to properly show the structure and precautions of several types of race cars.  Hartford local Dan Brandt held the demonstration in the fire department parking lot where he had many racers brought by their race cars.  

Brandt explained that not every car was the same, that every design was made for what the driver wants for their particular car.  With the multiple cars in the lot, firefighters would get an idea for different car structures and how to handle each properly.

Key issues that came about with the demonstration came with communication with the driver when performing a rescue or vehicle evacuation.  Brandt explained that with a crash, racers will be feeling a lot of adrenaline to either get out or get back in, so speaking loud and clear and being communicative with the driver will help with rescue cooperation.

“Blood is going to be pumping and their heart’s going to be racing.  They will want to get out and fix their vehicle so keeping communication between the two of you will be beneficial for their safety.”

Heat and fire are some of the most major concerns that firefighters should look out for.  High speeds cause many areas of the race car to become hot, so Brandt pointed out several areas on the vehicles to where firefighters should be cautious of handling.  Brandt explained that fire is the biggest fear that many of the drivers have while racing:

“No driver wants to be on fire.  If they hear that there is a fire, they will be trying to jump out of the vehicle to avoid it.”

I-90 Speedway is located west of Hartford on Highway 38 and races take place every Saturday.