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(Press Release from NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications)
What began more than a decade ago in early January as a small gathering of medical, safety, security and track services personnel to share best practices and prepare for the coming NASCAR season has ballooned into one of the most vital and unique preseason conventions in all of motorsports.
The annual NASCAR Summit will conclude its three-day agenda today at the Concord (North Carolina) Convention Center, where a record number of over 800 attendees in those aforementioned fields representing the facilities that host NASCAR’s national, touring and weekly and IMSA series events converged to ideate and address numerous key topics in their areas of expertise prior to the start of the 2015 NASCAR and IMSA racing seasons.
“This event is one of the most important elements of each new season,” said NASCAR Senior Vice President of Racing Operations Jim Cassidy. “The success of our events and the safety, comfort and enjoyment of our fans is heavily reliant on the cohesive work of these dedicated professionals – including an enormous amount of advance preparation.”
The Summit is organized each year by NASCAR’s Racing Operations group, led by its Medical Liaison, Security and Track Services teams. General sessions featuring top keynote speakers, breakout sessions, round tables, workshops specific to top-line subjects in their respective disciplines and at-track demonstrations at Charlotte Motor Speedway make up the always-evolving agenda. This year’s keynote speaker was 5.11 Tactical Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Tom Davin, whose company is the Official Tactical Apparel and Gear Supplier of NASCAR and producer of NASCAR officials’ at-track uniforms. Attendees utilize the Summit as a baseline for the coming year while planning for their individual events which continue to include update meetings before, during and after each race weekend.
Awards are also presented by NASCAR to individuals who excelled during the previous season in their various fields. Those honored for their work in 2014 were:
Medical
- Above and Beyond Award – Blaine Bates, Field Investigator, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series
- Nursing Director Award – Robbie Parks, RN, EMT-P, Bristol Motor Speedway
- Medical Director Award – Dennis Allin, MD, Kansas Speedway
- Teamwork Award – Texas Motor Speedway Infield Care Center
Security
- NASCAR Security Award for Excellence – Gerald Baker, Security Director, Texas Motor Speedway; Lt. David Meade (Law Enforcement Supervisor, Sullivan Co. Sheriff’s Office, Bristol Motor Speedway)
Track Services
- Jim Bockoven Track Services Lifetime Achievement Award – Ken Burdine (Miller Industries)
- Excellence in Track Services Award – Donald “Doc” Jernigan, Richmond International Raceway
- Track Services Innovation Award – Jeff Miles (Key Equipment)
- Track Services Mission Award – Kentucky Speedway
- Track Services Teamwork Award – Phoenix International Raceway
The 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular season will kick off with the 57th running of the DAYTONA 500® on Sunday, Feb. 22 at Daytona International Speedway®. The Great American Race® will be broadcast live on FOX, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, with additional coverage on NASCAR.com.
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