Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Just found this in the Des Moines Register Saturday morning. I haven't been spending much time inside the track this season and didn't know anything about this.

by Randy Peterson

Seven members of the emergency fire crew that assists drivers at Knoxville Raceway have walked away from those positions in the last two weeks after disagreements with management.

Those on both sides say, however, that the departures involve logistics about the areas where they work during races - and safety has not been jeopardized.

Rand Mecham, one of the seven who left the job, said some workers were upset about being located in different spots than in past years.

"We're frustrated with the changes - they don't make any sense," Mecham said. "We've been working in corners for a long time, now they come along and put less experienced guys in some corners and more experienced guys in others. But the bottom line is that as frustrated as I am about the change, the track is still the safest in the United States."

John McCoy, director of competition at the sprint-car track, confirmed that seven emergency crew members quit and have been replaced.

"Why? I can't explain that," he said. "Luckily, Knoxville retains a lot of extra people for those positions. We operate at a very good capacity."

Racer Wayne Johnson said he noticed a few new emergency crew members last Saturday.

"Usually I know almost all the guys who work in the corners," Johnson said. "Saturday, I didn't know some of them, but I didn't really think anything of it because Knoxville is the safest track we run at.

"I'm so confident in the guys that work at the track that, and this may sound stupid, but there are some times during the summer when I don't even wear fireproof underwear."

Racing veteran Brian Brown agreed the track is safe.

"If I got knocked out of a car, unconscious, injured, anywhere in the world, Knoxville is where I'd want it to be," Brown said.

McCoy said some veteran crew members had their working locations changed to help newer emergency employees.

"It's always a good situation when newer people get a chance to work with the very good and very talented veteran people we have working at the track," McCoy said.

He said between 18 and 20 fire crew members are situated around the track - four on the back chute, three in the front chute, three between turns 1 and 2, three between turns 3 and 4 and at least five others at various locations.

"We could run a safe track with a lot less," he said, "but we're not going to do that. That's not the Knoxville way."

Someone caught one one the safest diligently at work:

I think some of it had to do with that other track just north of Knoxville.....

John this is probably not the best place to discuss this, the story is like most in the newspapers, a little truth and short on facts.

Michael that is not just "one of the safest", He is in charge of the fire crew.

Yea, I don't want to see this get out of hand. Like I said, it's the first I've heard about any of this. I'm also surprised that Randy Peterson had the story. I didn't think he covered any racing.

Here is all that is really important in that article......

"the track is still the safest in the United States"

and I am sure it is one fact that they got right.

I think John and Cappy need to keep their nose out of the safety group these guys have done an superb job thru the years. Ask any driver that has needed there services when there was a wreck. I think they need to direct their attention to the Dunkins and the track preparation. For the last two years or so the track has been to wet for a good racing programe. You have been crying about attendance at the weekly racing program this is one of the reason peope aren't returning. They are tired of the freight train racing. So devote some of your time and eneryto track prepration and leave the safety people to do their job like they have always did.

1950gm, I disagree. 

Track Prep is where Cappy and John need to stay away from.  The Dunkins do an excellent job, and can do better, but aren't allowed to during certain times of hte year (last year, Chris was told not to work on the frontstretch during the County Fair Week because they were having the Rodeo and a concert a couple nights), front stretch was horrible because he didn't have the time required to work on it).

Can the track be better, maybe, but tires have a ton to do with what happens to the racing surface.  It's not all track prep, take a look around the country at tracks that never took rubber now taking rubber, tracks that were never dry, now dry slick.  Only thing that has really changed in that time is the tires and motors (maybe some traction control).

As far as the Safety Crew goes, I think John seems to have the right idea.  Get some new guys experience (because some of the expereinced guys take vacations to the King's Royal and the like and aren't in town a couple weekends a year), but have them with experienced crew in various locations around the track. 

You can't do that by having everyone with experience in turn 1 and put the inexperienced guys all together in turn 3.  The guys that are the future of the safety crew have to get some experience, and not just "thrown to the wolves" when someone is gone. 

I'm sure the old-timers don't like it, but as a fan, I want the safety crew to be "plug and play" so to speak.  I don't want to notice that someone new is working the corner or the ambulance stand.  I expect it to be consistent every night, no matter who is there.

And as the article states, it is still the safest dirt track in the country.

just my $.02

I am not talking about the track taking rubber I was talking about all the wet tracks we have had in the last couple years. It just stays narrow and the cushion is just wet slabs of mud. Sometimes they had to take the loader to remove the cushion of mud that built up.

   I am one of the Fire Fighters that quit. I can't stand  hearing the misconseption that John McCoy has spread anymore. John McCoy does NOT know where anybody was assigned that night, and I am disappointed in him as well as his statment.

    The fact is-- the veterans that were working turn 3 that night were concerned at the lack of experiance, as well as the number of crew on turn 2. We went to to officials and asked if one of us could go to turn 2 and was DENIED. Our Chief  and assistant Chief went to the prom, so we asked Dwayne Robuck if one of us could go to turn 2. He rudley denied our wishes. We then went to Gary Verwers and he also denied us. Simple math should have been a factor- 2 new people on 2, and 4 people on 3, give me a break.

    This decision is what frustrated some of the Safety guys and caused the whole situation. We simply don't want to operate like that. And as you see have no where to go to try to change it.

    PLEASE NOTE the assignments were made, that night, by Mark Worrall, the CHIEF, just before he went, with the assistant Chief, to the prom. Did it simply to prove a point. (another story)

    I wanted to quit quietly, but will not allow LIES told about what we were trying to do. PROOF--Look at the tape! It was the first night of the season.

    The Fire Dept . there is one of the best, just lacks leadership. This situation could have been tragic.

     I agree we should always have veteran Fire Fighters with the new guys and have always offered to train any of them, and I have trained several.

     By the way, I have had a lot of great people ask me why I quit, BUT not one person from the track has! They dont' care.

     Sorry for keeping it stired, but I will not have those LIES said about those of us that won't play the political game to the extent as to risk fellow FireFighters safety.

  What happened to the picture? No Gloves, No Hood ,No Radio,No Clue.

Im glad you pointed that out about Knoxville being the safest. See the problem is its poorly run. When there is no loyalty to a fireman who has been working at the track over fifteen years because he is concerned about the safety of the drivers along with his fellow crewmembers then how safe can you really be. Another fact id like to point out to those who are backing such a horribly run firecrew is a simple comparison. Do you think for one second that the season points leader doesnt change anything such as tires or motor work or a chassis tune because so far in the season he has been THE BEST. Use your head being on top isnt the hard part staying there is. Im one of the firefighters who left the track over these things so dont get me wrong there are some men and women who have been and currently great at what they do who are working on the firecrew. But if there inabled to do the jobs because of an icompatant boss or boss's there no good to anyone. I myself was in this category.

Look not only at this seasons loosing firemen look over the last 3 or 4 at who has left and ask them why.

In-fighting seems to be common-place among safety crew teams, I know of a couple others who have similar internal political turmoils.

Everyone has their opinions and believe it or not I think that everyone can be right, and everyone can be wrong all in the same stroke. Thankfully Knoxville Safety Crew appears to have kept the focus of why they are there to begin with. Whether or not they COULD do things differently really isn't the point since "better" is such a judgemental term.

Knoxville's crew is way ahead of anybody else because of more than just the people involved, new bodies and assignment's won't change that.

I can agree on opinion. And internal turmoil is goin to occur anytime there is a gathering of people who are working toward something im fully agreed upon that. Now for what I cant understand at all you completly contradicted yourself. If the crew is ahead because of more than the people involved then just exactly is it ahead? If it werent for concerned poeple at the track the fire crew would not exist, if it werent for people within the firecrew things like personal protective gear wouldnt be worn by driver nor firecrew. In my 3 seasons I went to 3 trainings I can remeber of those our cheif and the person in charge if hes gone not only didnt plan any of them they didnt even show! Id also like to just say im not on here to proove myself right im on here with every hope in the world someone above with the power to overide these people in charge will do so because when im in my race car with the chance of a wreck I want every advantage I can get, and I want the same for all the drivers at Knoxville or anywhere for that matter. New bodies that have no experiance working with more unexperianced who also happen to be under a group unwilling to train or allow a vetran to help out a rookie is dangerous! Thats also opinion but I dont think to many would disagree?