NASCAR adds traveling medical team for all Cup races

CONCORD, N.C. – Departing from a decades-long policy, NASCAR announced Wednesday that it will add a medical response team from an outside source to its safety systems this season.

Virtually since its first season, NASCAR has relied on track and local medical personnel to staff speedway medical centers and deal with race injuries.

Officials said those medical personnel – typically local emergency room physicians and nurses – will remain in place. Physicians and paramedics from Colorado-based American Medical Response will be added to the at-track staff.

An AMR doctor and a paramedic will be situated in a “chase” vehicle, which will be among those that will respond to on-track and pit-road incidents. AMR president Ted Van Horne said four AMR doctors will revolve through the 38-race Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule.

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NASCAR has been criticized by drivers and others for not having a traveling medical team, a concept that is standard in some other top-level racing series, including the Verizon IndyCar Series.

NASCAR’s position has been that local emergency physicians are best-suited to handle issues at tracks, but NASCAR executive vice president Steve O’Donnell described the change as a “no-brainer.”

“We’ve looked at the care we’ve had in place, and this is a partnership,” O’Donnell said. “This will enhance that via on-track response. This is a perfect partner in terms of enhancing what we already do. We’re always looking to upgrade what we do.”

AMR personnel will work all Cup series races and other series events that occur at the same track on Cup weekends. The new process does not apply to stand-alone Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series races, O’Donnell said, but he added that there could be additions or changes after the first year.

An AMR doctor will be NASCAR’s medical director.

Follow Hembree on Twitter @mikehembree

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