Even in the early 1980s, medical care was not a top priority in NASCAR. Facilities were scattered at best and largely unequipped to handle emergencies. That’s when Bobby Lewis, MD, DMD of Alabama came on the scene and offered to develop a medical system to take care of injuries sustained at events.
Lewis set up makeshift hospitals for every race at every track, with the help of trained nurses and emergency room doctors. Five decades later, these makeshift facilities have morphed into state-of-the-art, permanent facilities at racetracks across the country, and are called “Infield Care Centers.” Any time a driver is involved in an accident, however minor, he must go to the center and be examined.
So what’s happening? Dale Earnhardt Jr. explained in a 2023 episode Download Dale Jr.. The layout of the centers is more or less the same. In the middle is the typical horseshoe-shaped desk. The stretchers are separated by curtains. Specialists dressed in white coats walk around with pads and pens. What fills the room with energy are angry drivers and doctors trying to treat them.
“I’m not sure what their exact roles are, but there will be a senior neurosurgeon and possibly a senior physician,” said Dale Jr. (5:45). “There’s a man in the room who’s checking you for a possible concussion. But there’s also a doctor there who’s taking care of any fractures or serious wounds or whatever you might have.”
He added that the doctors have a lot of questions about the accident. This is not something every rider likes. Emotions run high at the centre and hopes for a good outcome are simply dashed. But ultimately the questions are all about finding the right treatment and the riders know this.
They release drivers after conducting a full head-to-toe examination and determining that their physical condition is good enough to be mobbed by the media waiting outside. On-track injuries account for only a fraction of the cases the Infield Care Center treats on a weekend.
It is open 24 hours a day, all weekend, and is available to help any driver, crew member, or fan with any need. At certain locations, like Talladega Superspeedway, it’s all free. The only thing that hasn’t been done at an Infield Care Center is probably the birth of a baby. But the professionals there are prepared for that, too.
