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Safety First—NMRA/NMCA Fire/Safety Teams Rely on Simpson Gear

Posted By: Steve Baur
Written By Michael Galimi
Photography by Kevin DiOssi

 
There are two sides to creating a safe drag racing environment at the Holley NMRA Ford Nationals and Red Line Oil NMCA Muscle Car Nationals. The most obvious are the stringent NHRA and SFI safety rules for competition vehicles, as well as the driver safety gear. The other side of the equation is fire/safety response to incidents, whether they happen on track or off of it. This year, Simpson Racing Products was named as the official sponsor of the NMRA/NMCA Fire/Safety team. 
 

“One of the major rules of emergency response is to protect the first responder, and our team is equipped with gear from Simpson,” said Rollie Miller, National Event Director and General Manager of the NMRA and NMCA. 
 
This year, the highly trained NMRA/NMCA first responders ride into action in brand-new Chevrolet Silverado 3500 trucks. Each Chevy truck is outfitted with fire-fighting equipment designed specifically for motorsport response. In addition to holding the fire-fighting gear, the truck beds contain TNT Rescue Equipment, sourced from Advanced Rescue Systems. These tools use the latest technology in battery operated cutters, spreaders, and rams, as well as hand-held tools. 
 

Simpson geared up the team with Viper helmets for maximum head protection and unrestricted visibility; these helmets carry a SA2020 rating. Fire protection is provided by SFI-5 Classic jacket and pants, both are made in the USA and certified SFI 3.2A/5. And because if you need to be protected from fire, your hands should be covered as well, and the black Simpson Competitor series gloves are SFI 3.3/5-rated.



Miller shared, “We have two trucks and crews outfitted to respond to any level of accident or emergency situation at our events. These race vehicles are getting quicker and faster each year, and we have taken on the responsibility in-house to ensure consistent response from track-to-track.” He continued to explain the sanctioning bodies’ emergency response system involves constant contact using Turn2 Racing Communications radios between Gavin Carter, the NMRA/NMCA Race Director, the starting line crew, and fire/safety teams for quick reaction and the most up-to-date information on what the safety crews are heading into during a rapidly evolving situation. 
 
Source
 
Advanced Rescue Systems
www.arstexas.com
 
Chevrolet
www.chevrolet.com
 
Simpson Racing Products
www.simpsonraceproducts.com
 
TNT Rescue
www.tntrescue.com
 
Turn2 Racing Communications
www.turn2rc.com
 
 

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