ndvalium
Rescue Director
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My Mint 400
No matter how many events my team does throughout the year, The Mint 400 is by far the biggest of them all for us. Planning for every Mint 400 race begins exactly one year previous at the previous race on what we can do to improve responses and help for racers, crews, spectators and staff.
This year was no different. A year ago we learned a few things that could make our responses better. A few things that would improve patient care and certainly a few things that could improve communication between operations, medical staff, responders and crews / families involved in any major incident. See just like any successful race team, planning and preparation put you in a position to give your best.
Motorsports Safety Solutions had 18 of our members volunteer for the day as well as 2 medics from American Medical Response and 4 more responders from Sundance Safety on stand by all over the course. This in addition to numerous retrieval vehicles and Best in the Desert staff meant that people were in place every few miles on the course to deal with just about anything that could occur.
For me personally, the morning started with looking at a few areas and trying to anticipate how we would deal with the massive crowds that were expected to attend. How could we ensure the best safety for everyone while maintaining the Great American Race experience? We also take a very active role in assisting Best in the Desert staff in anyway we can. From staging to crowd and traffic control.
Race number 1 – We have a start to The Mint 400
Starting just after dawn, the limited classes started their race. 220 vehicles left the line to tackle the course. After everyone was off the line, we adjusted a few things for spectator areas and got ready for the field to return to the Primm area.
A brief down time allowed me to head north and check on all our teams. We go to help a broke UTV get going and tow a disabled 10 car out to meet his team. Watched a few cars move down the course and spend time visiting with a few people out there support the race.
We headed back to Primm to get ready for race #2. Race #2 is the unlimited classes. 110 of the greatest off road racers climbed into their machines and readied for war on the desert and each other.
We have a Code Red…
Race mile 58 the 1035 car rolled and needed medical assistance. On scene in minutes, one of our teams assessed the situation and requested air transport for one of the occupants. Additional teams including myself converged on the area to assist. After being transported, we got the course cleared and assisted in clearing out numerous other disabled vehicles in the area before the freight train of Unlimited Vehicles would arrive in the area.
Returning to Primm as the Unlimited were completing lap one and starting lap 2, we stationed at the infamous Dyke Jump and got to watch some racing. A cloud of dust and a call on the radio alerted us to a rollover in which a Class 1500 rolled after landing the jump and striking the wall. Getting him turned over, and course clear in a less than a minute we then started on helping race car after race car in the Primm area. Rollovers, mechanical failures and stuck vehicles, The Mint 400 started to take its toll.
A few minutes later another driver needed our assistance. Being knocked unconscious in a rollover, a class 1500 racer needed transport with back and neck pain.
As the first finishers started coming through we were able to hear on the radio that Justin Lofton took the win. A big kudos to him and his team on a back to back of the Mint 400 victories. Was great to see for sure.
High point of the day for sure was seeing the Alexander Motorsports 6100 car finish strong last night with Ryan Hancock behind the wheel, and Jordan Poole on his right hand side the way it was supposed to be last year. It has been a hell of a year for these two, their team and their family. I think crossing the finish line was the biggest healing moment of the last 12 months. Not that it matters much compared to what they went through, but I know I it made me feel better.
Low point came as one of my team members resigned from my team at the end of the day as a result of how the spectators treated him while he was trying to keep people back at a safe distance. I demand of my team that we help in every way possible for any promoter that we are honored to serve. If that is crowd control, security officer or even trash man, then that is what we will do. I respect his decision as what we do is obviously not for everyone.
While a couple racers went to the hospital, word is they are released and recovering and that is the most important to me and my amazing team at the end of the day.
I want to thank my amazing team:
Ryan Amendt, Valerie LeDuc who both road with me and risked their lives as we bumped around the desert! William Bolderoff and Pixie Dust who I entrusted the supervision of the entire Northern half of the race to, and they performed flawlessly supporting Best in the Desert and the rest of the Rescue staff. Brad Lundy for covering the Northern Knight Ranch Road pit. D.j. Raz, Coleman Benner, Anthony Brown, and Julie Pierce for their help in the Primm area. Robert Schell, Dani and David Spencer for covering Spectator 3 and the Hidden Valley area as well as successfully went the entire day without killing each other. Jerry Yeager and Jenifer Yeager for covering Pit B. Of course Best in the Desert relies heavily on our joint custody of Rescue 11 or Karl Hartmetz and Nancy Hartmetz. A special thanks to Sundance Safety for covering the main pit for fire and medical assistance. Keith Jones I sincerely appreciate you, WIll, Jerry and Chloe for joining making this race happen successfully.
The 2016 Mint 400 is complete and planning is already underway to make 2017's version of the Great American Race even better!
No matter how many events my team does throughout the year, The Mint 400 is by far the biggest of them all for us. Planning for every Mint 400 race begins exactly one year previous at the previous race on what we can do to improve responses and help for racers, crews, spectators and staff.
This year was no different. A year ago we learned a few things that could make our responses better. A few things that would improve patient care and certainly a few things that could improve communication between operations, medical staff, responders and crews / families involved in any major incident. See just like any successful race team, planning and preparation put you in a position to give your best.
Motorsports Safety Solutions had 18 of our members volunteer for the day as well as 2 medics from American Medical Response and 4 more responders from Sundance Safety on stand by all over the course. This in addition to numerous retrieval vehicles and Best in the Desert staff meant that people were in place every few miles on the course to deal with just about anything that could occur.
For me personally, the morning started with looking at a few areas and trying to anticipate how we would deal with the massive crowds that were expected to attend. How could we ensure the best safety for everyone while maintaining the Great American Race experience? We also take a very active role in assisting Best in the Desert staff in anyway we can. From staging to crowd and traffic control.
Race number 1 – We have a start to The Mint 400
Starting just after dawn, the limited classes started their race. 220 vehicles left the line to tackle the course. After everyone was off the line, we adjusted a few things for spectator areas and got ready for the field to return to the Primm area.
A brief down time allowed me to head north and check on all our teams. We go to help a broke UTV get going and tow a disabled 10 car out to meet his team. Watched a few cars move down the course and spend time visiting with a few people out there support the race.
We headed back to Primm to get ready for race #2. Race #2 is the unlimited classes. 110 of the greatest off road racers climbed into their machines and readied for war on the desert and each other.
We have a Code Red…
Race mile 58 the 1035 car rolled and needed medical assistance. On scene in minutes, one of our teams assessed the situation and requested air transport for one of the occupants. Additional teams including myself converged on the area to assist. After being transported, we got the course cleared and assisted in clearing out numerous other disabled vehicles in the area before the freight train of Unlimited Vehicles would arrive in the area.
Returning to Primm as the Unlimited were completing lap one and starting lap 2, we stationed at the infamous Dyke Jump and got to watch some racing. A cloud of dust and a call on the radio alerted us to a rollover in which a Class 1500 rolled after landing the jump and striking the wall. Getting him turned over, and course clear in a less than a minute we then started on helping race car after race car in the Primm area. Rollovers, mechanical failures and stuck vehicles, The Mint 400 started to take its toll.
A few minutes later another driver needed our assistance. Being knocked unconscious in a rollover, a class 1500 racer needed transport with back and neck pain.
As the first finishers started coming through we were able to hear on the radio that Justin Lofton took the win. A big kudos to him and his team on a back to back of the Mint 400 victories. Was great to see for sure.
High point of the day for sure was seeing the Alexander Motorsports 6100 car finish strong last night with Ryan Hancock behind the wheel, and Jordan Poole on his right hand side the way it was supposed to be last year. It has been a hell of a year for these two, their team and their family. I think crossing the finish line was the biggest healing moment of the last 12 months. Not that it matters much compared to what they went through, but I know I it made me feel better.
Low point came as one of my team members resigned from my team at the end of the day as a result of how the spectators treated him while he was trying to keep people back at a safe distance. I demand of my team that we help in every way possible for any promoter that we are honored to serve. If that is crowd control, security officer or even trash man, then that is what we will do. I respect his decision as what we do is obviously not for everyone.
While a couple racers went to the hospital, word is they are released and recovering and that is the most important to me and my amazing team at the end of the day.
I want to thank my amazing team:
Ryan Amendt, Valerie LeDuc who both road with me and risked their lives as we bumped around the desert! William Bolderoff and Pixie Dust who I entrusted the supervision of the entire Northern half of the race to, and they performed flawlessly supporting Best in the Desert and the rest of the Rescue staff. Brad Lundy for covering the Northern Knight Ranch Road pit. D.j. Raz, Coleman Benner, Anthony Brown, and Julie Pierce for their help in the Primm area. Robert Schell, Dani and David Spencer for covering Spectator 3 and the Hidden Valley area as well as successfully went the entire day without killing each other. Jerry Yeager and Jenifer Yeager for covering Pit B. Of course Best in the Desert relies heavily on our joint custody of Rescue 11 or Karl Hartmetz and Nancy Hartmetz. A special thanks to Sundance Safety for covering the main pit for fire and medical assistance. Keith Jones I sincerely appreciate you, WIll, Jerry and Chloe for joining making this race happen successfully.
The 2016 Mint 400 is complete and planning is already underway to make 2017's version of the Great American Race even better!