ARCA Statement on Toledo Speedway – Brian Finney Racecar Fire Update
About a week and a half ago, there was a fire at Toledo Speedway. It took place during ARCA practice for an event the following day.
A car driven by Brian Finney caught fire. His racecar remained on fire, for an extended period of time. Safety crews, fans and driver stood by and watched a stock car go up in flames.
Related: Toledo Speedway Fire – Brian Finney Extinguishes his Own Fire (VIDEO)
Eventually, Brian Finney himself, grabbed an extinguisher. He reached into the track safety truck, pulled the trigger and put out the fire on his own car.
Since the fire at Toledo Speedway, ARCA has spoken with the driver. Drager also stated that ARCA made several adjustments to the safety protocol ahead of the race, the following day.
There was actually a second fire, during the race the next day. It was extinguished immediately.
ARCA President Ron Drager issued a statement to Race Chaser Online:
Drager stated, “We review our safety policies and procedures on an ongoing basis, and our combined track and series safety response to this incident falls short of the standards we have established,” said Drager.
“Our review of the incident is ongoing; however, we made adjustments in several areas prior to Sunday’s race, including vehicle placement, equipment and assignment of duties of the response team.”
“I’ve spoken directly with Brian, both Saturday after the incident and today (Tuesday), as well as with our staff, in reviewing how we can best respond to such circumstances. Throughout our 65-year history in the sport, we have placed safety at the forefront and are committed to continuing to do so.”
The next scheduled ARCA event is the Shore Lunch 250. That race is set for June 3 at Elko Speedway.
Brian Finney and the team will not be attending that event. They have retired the racing program for the remainder of the 2017 season.
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