How the AMR IndyCar Safety Team takes care of drivers

SPEEDWAY, Ind (WISH) — Like the drivers in the Indianapolis 500, the AMR IndyCar Safety Car Team also has to practice ahead of race day.

News 8’s Hanna Mordoh met with AMR IndyCar Safety Team Manager, Tim Baughman, to explain what exactly the team prepares for.

“Our team is very familiar with the cars. Obviously, we have a real training piece here that we work with. We have tools for firefighting, and for extrication for driver removal. We have trucks that we take with us, our Chevy Silverado’s are custom made to go on the road with us and service to get out on the track in a fast response.” said Baughman.

The team, filled with firefighter veterans, has their own model car — a 2012 Dallara Chassis — that they use to simulate emergency situations.

“It is an Indy car without the engine, the wheels, the wings, and the fuel cell. What it does is gives us real time practice evolution so that we can practice and be very efficient at getting the driver out…We have special tools that go down in the car to keep the driver’s head, neck and back straight in a line so that we don’t injure them further, and our goal is to do that in less than two minutes and get the driver to the hospital.” said Baughman.

Hopefully, the team does not have to be deployed on race day.