Revamped Champ Car safety
team ready to roll
February 24, 2004
INDIANAPOLIS (February 24, 2004) – Widely regarded as the
finest safety unit in all of motorsports, the 2004 Champ Car Safety Team will be under
the leadership of Dr. Chris Pinderski, M.D., FACEP who takes over as series Medical
Director after 12 years of working with the renowned Champ Car Safety Team
Pinderski, who has most recently served several seasons as the series Associate Medical
Director, moves up to the lead role this year as Champ Car looks to capitalize on the
strengths of its participating physicians. In addition to his racing duties, Pinderski
serves as the Medical Director at Three Rivers Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff,
Missouri and specializes in emergency medicine.
An Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Missouri, Pinderski has served as
a physician with Champ Car since 1992 and has played an integral part in building the
reputation of the series medical staff. He will be joined at the track by a pair of
veteran Champ Car physicians in Dr. Richard Timms and Dr. Tim Weber. The team will also
continue with its full compliment of emergency nurses and physical therapists.
“We are going to keep the same program that has worked so well in the past,” Pinderski
said. “The Champ Car World Series has set the standard in the motorsports community and
we’re going to continue it. We’ll have a couple of different faces at the racetrack but
the change should be pretty transparent otherwise.”
Dr. Terry Trammell, Champ Car’s Chief Orthopedic Consultant, will expand his role in
research and development of safety equipment and procedures. Dr. Trammell will continue
to work closely with Champ Car Technical Director Lee Dykstra in safety research and
will serve as an advisor and consultant. Lon Bromley continues as Director of Safety,
beginning his 19th year with the Champ Car Safety Team.
“I’m really excited about working with Lee again, and I’ll get the chance to work on
things I really wanted to do before but didn’t have time,” Trammell said. “I will still
be deeply involved with the team and will be prepared to do whatever I can to help Champ
Car.”
Trammell will devote a greater amount of time to the testing of new safety components
and will provide valuable expertise in bridging the gap between testing results and
their effects on the human body.
“Dr. Trammell’s knowledge of the human torso and the fact that he has experienced so
much in his career will really help our research,” Dykstra said. “He will be able to
help us in a number of areas and the results he will provide us will impact motorsports
for many years to come.”
The medical team will again operate out of the state-of-the-art Champ Car Medical Unit,
which operates as a mobile trauma center that provides Champ Car’s medical staff with
the capability to treat immediate life-threatening emergencies. The $1 million facility
also houses the complete medical files on all the drivers, aiding in the treatment of
any emergency.
“The fact is that the team is actually stronger than ever. We’ve gained a working trauma
specialist with Dr. Pinderski who runs an emergency center on a daily basis, added other
physicians with years of Champ Car Safety Team experience, and we’re capitalizing on Dr.
Trammell’s strong research and development background,” said Executive Vice-President of
Operations John Lopes. “Combined, these gentlemen have decades of Champ Car Safety Team
experience. We intend to maintain the quality of care of what is considered the industry
benchmark among quick response safety teams.”
AutoRacing1 is an independent internet online publication and is not
affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by CART Inc.,
NASCAR, FIA, FedEx, Nextel, or any other
series sponsor. This material may not be published, broadcast,
or redistributed without permission. User
agreement & disclaimer
