NASCAR drivers say ambulances have been issue all season

Matt Kenseth had his race ruined by a wayward ambulance on pit road at Richmond, and it was not the first issue the driver has had with an emergency vehicle this year at a NASCAR race.

In fact, many drivers raised concerns about lax safety issues during Wednesday’s preview of the upcoming 10-race playoffs. The issue is front and center because Kenseth was a victim Saturday night of an ambulance driver who chose the entrance to pit road to park the truck.

As cars entered pit road under caution, they had to swerve to avoid the ambulance. Kenseth ran into the car in front of him and it ended his race.

“At the spring Richmond race, I was driving around the infield for about 5 minutes with him and he was lost and couldn’t find the care center. So thankfully I wasn’t bleeding to death,” Kenseth said. “The other one was after California or something like that, he drove so recklessly, it threw me right off the bench and I almost hit my head in the ambulance.”

Kevin Harvick backed up Kenseth’s assessment that the safety teams have had issues this season.

“The ambulances, for whatever reason this year, have been a little more of an issue as far as getting to the accident, getting back from the accident, getting lost in many circumstances going back to the infield care center,” Harvick said. “Everybody is doing a great job when they get to the cars, but we still have some issues of getting the ambulances to the infield care center without getting lost. That’s been an issue for not only myself, twice, but several other drivers as they’ve had their trips to the infield care center.”

Denny Hamlin, leader of the driver council, said the ambulance taking Aric Almirola to the care center after he broke his back in a crash at Kansas got lost in the infield.

“His ambulance got lost inside the racetrack. I mean, he had a serious injury,” Hamlin said. “I know they’re trying to do the best they can. We for sure can get better because we’re not good right now.”

NASCAR said Wednesday it will continue to “work with the tracks and safety teams to improve in every aspect of support. Safety is paramount, and it’s something we work hard at all year long.” TRUEX STILL TICKED Martin Truex Jr. still disagrees with the late caution call that cost him a win at Richmond. After talking to NASCAR, the regular-season champion hopes officiating won’t be a problem in the playoffs, which begin this weekend at Chicagoland.

“I think for the most part of the season, they’ve been consistent, not jumping on every hot dog wrapper for a caution,” Truex said. “I thought Saturday night at Richmond was a departure from what we’ve seen really the last five or six months.”

Truex had the win in hand when Derrike Cope hit the wall with three laps remaining. NASCAR called a caution, the race went into overtime, and Truex was involved in an accident. Days later, Truex still does not believe Cope’s contact with the wall warranted the flag.