When the roar of engines filled Lime Rock Park for its first-ever NASCAR event this summer, a specialized team from UConn Health’s Emergency Department was standing by prepared for anything.
The group, founded by Dr. Richard Kamin and Dr. Robert Fuller, includes Dr. Venkat Subramanyam, and Dr. Shawn London, has partnered with Lime Rock Park over the past several years to provide emergency physician coverage at major racing events. This year, with NASCAR coming to Connecticut, the UConn Health doctors joined forces with local EMS, and NASCAR’s own medical staff to ensure trackside safety.
“Drivers are on the road for multiple days and weeks at a time. Beyond the risks of high-speed crashes, they face health concerns like heat illness, dehydration, or gastrointestinal and respiratory issues,” explained Dr. Venkat Subramanyam, an emergency physician with additional training in sports medicine. “We hope we never have to use our trauma training, but we’re prepared if needed.”
UConn Health’s role focuses on drivers, crew members, and track staff providing care in the infield care center or in ambulances stationed trackside. The physicians underwent NASCAR training to align with national protocols and worked closely with NASCAR’s medical liaison to adapt practices specifically for Lime Rock.
For Subramanyam, the event combines professional expertise with a unique learning opportunity. “Trackside medicine is very different from traditional emergency medicine. It’s a unique subspecialty, even within sports medicine, because of the types of injuries and conditions we see,” he said. “Working alongside NASCAR’s medical team gave us valuable insights we can bring back to both the track and our practice.”
Fortunately, this year’s race day was relatively calm. The UConn Health team treated a few crew members for heat-related illness and minor injuries, while the overall event ran smoothly without major incidents. But preparation was everything. Physicians were strategically placed at the care center and trackside in ambulances, ready to respond at a moment’s notice.
The event also gave UConn Health’s senior emergency medicine resident, Dr. Lindsey Adelson, valuable exposure to prehospital and EMS-based care as she prepares for a career in emergency medical services.
“This was an exciting opportunity for our team to provide medical support while also building relationships with NASCAR’s national network of physicians,” said Subramanyam. “We exchanged protocols and ideas that will help us refine our approach for future events.”
“Partnering with UConn Health for the NASCAR LIUNA 150 weekend delivered a wide range of benefits, both for Lime Rock Park, as well as for the surrounding area,” said Lime Rock Park director of track operations Tom Burke. “At Lime Rock Park, we take pride in building partnerships that not only support operational excellence but also create meaningful benefits for our surrounding community. Their collaboration with the Lime Rock Park safety team, local EMS and NASCAR’s medical team ensured that our safety standards remained world-class.”
With hopes of returning next year, UConn Health’s involvement highlights not only the critical role of emergency physicians in high-performance sports but also the institution’s growing reputation in specialized fields like race medicine.
As Dr. Subramanyam summed up: “Our job is to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. At Lime Rock, we did exactly that.”
