The quote of the week goes to Melissa Charette from Friday night, after hitting the turn 4 wall. After being checked out from the staff of Response Ambulance, she was walking on the midway and was interviewed by Fast Friday announcer Tiger Perry, he asked her what she saw. Her response was perfect: “I saw the wall.”
In my mind, the answer could have gone bad in a quick way and brought the incident to a boil. Missy showed a lot of class throughout the whole ordeal, including on social media. Her and another competitor made contact coming off the fourth turn on the opening lap of the Pure Stock feature, and she hit the wall hard. She is ok, but I am sure she is sore.
It’s a nice segue into one of my topics for this article. Safety equipment. Over the past couple of weeks, we have seen some very hard and scary accidents here. Melissa on Friday, Peter Gloddy hit the wall on Saturday during the Sport Truck feature, Cassie Meservey barrel rolled her SYRA car a couple of weeks ago, Ava ChoUinard hit the wall hard a few weeks ago, not to mention Nick Lascoula pirouetting his Nick’s Pit Stop Legend a few weeks ago. This is just a sample of some of the incidents we have seen.
Ten years ago, some of these accidents may have injured, whether minor or seriously, some of these competitors. In every one of these accidents, each driver was able to walk away with bruising. Don’t get me wrong, the men and ladies that were involved were sore, and they took some very hard hits, but no broken bones or cuts. And there are a lot of reasons for the increase in safety.
15 years ago, racing lost one of their most electrifying drivers. From that death, there have been many, many improvements for the drivers. Self-containment seats that wrap around the driver to keep them safe have made a big difference in the drivers being safer. Head and neck restraints keep the drivers head from moving forward in a sudden stop. Better belts and an increase in the officials’ making sure that they are current. Not to mention a well-built safe car.
It is great to see that at the grassroots level. Uneducated thoughts would be, well, it’s an entry level division, not going very fast with minimal racing advancements to the cars, so why would I spend over $1,000 just in safety equipment when I’m not putting much more than that into the car? Well, some of that equipment is not necessary to conform to the rules. But the teams are doing just that, and I am impressed that they are focused on the safety aspect.
There is no doubt in my mind that the teams investment into the safety equipment is what is keeping our family and friends safe out on the track. Thank you to the drivers that demand it, and to the moms, dads, brothers, sisters and friends that help provide it. I know the fans appreciate it.
I don’t talk much about our Fast Fridays, but that is not meant to disrespect the show at all. My Friday nights are spent in the pit area, trying to keep the flow going, making sure the races are ready to go when needed, relaying information from the competitors to the scorers and race director. Not to mention keeping the peace between the teams when things happen. Yes, it happens. Luckily it’s been a pretty quiet year.
Have you checked out the new V.I.P. Pavillion in turns one and two? The companies that have been up there enjoying their outing have really had a great time. The menu is very good, and it is a great view of the action. Want to learn more, just contact the office during the week and let them know. You’re company will enjoy it.
This week is the third and final round of the Phil’s Propane Trucks for the Everett’s Auto Parts Late Models. 50 laps will determine a champion within a championship. Defending Everett’s Auto Parts Late Model Champion Dylan Estrella and number 2 man in the current championship chase will go up against two part time Late Model competitors, both who have had a lot of success in the division. Ray Parent, who won the second round and Ryan Vanasse, who won the first Triple Crown race will be back to try to join Chase Belcher, who was the first driver to clinch the Phil’s Propane Triple Crown Championship with his top five finish in the Sport Truck finale last week.
Have you had a chance to watch our current point leader in the Street Stocks yet? I mean really pay attention to how Scott runs and races? I will tell you what, he seems to have about the best car control in the division. He has been fast all season long, but last week, I watched him hang on to his car for several laps while being literally pushed around the track several times in the 25 lap feature. Each time he got sideways, he pulled it back under control.each time. Even with a right rear tire going down, he kept the car from spinning out. Once the tire was replaced under caution, he was able to work his way through the field and into the top ten by the time the checkered flew.
with Race Voice