Cops, firefighters square off on racetrack
Departments line up for 'Guns and Hoses'
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| Rick Windham photo - Dusty Katich, a Collinsville fire fighter, approaches the start line at Gateway International Raceway Tuesday for 'Guns and Hoses,' which pitted local fire and police departments against one another. |
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"The object will be to get to the finish line first in the smallest margin you can safely accomplish," he said, motioning to the end of the quarter-mile track trailing off into the twilight. "It's a lot safer to ride on the brakes a little bit."
The lesson was the kick-off to the first "Guns and Hoses Challenge," a charity event engineered by Gateway International Raceway that opened the drag strip to local police and fire departments for a series of races to determine the fastest responder in the area. The winner received the John Hamm Trophy, named after the Madison mayor.Track General Manager Lenny Batycki said the idea was to show appreciation to local police and fire officials who put their lives on the line every day -- and allow them to have a little fun.
"We thought it would be a great way to reach out to the community," he said. "I hope nobody is called into duty."
Batycki said participants had to bring their own cars or trucks -- no cop cars or fire trucks -- and sign a waiver. The cars had to be street legal, although many featured an array of custom exhaust pipes, rims and spoilers.
Madison Police Chief Thomas Voloski was one of the first participants at the track Tuesday evening, along with his 1998 Buick Regal. After seeing lots of races over the years, he was anxious to take the track himself.
"I enjoy watching cars here," he said.
The day started with tips from Kepner, the baritone-voiced analysis for ESPN who walked drivers through where to peel out (in the water slick on the left-hand lane), ideal tire pressure (depends on the car) and how to line up in each lane ("You should be creeping up here.").
The bulk dealt with how to anticipate the green light, attached with other signals to an oil derrick-like device called a "Christmas Tree" between the two cars at the start line.
When the cars are lined up, Kepner explained, a switch is thrown and the race is on.
Most professional drivers can respond to the green light in fractions of a second. Kepner said these drivers shouldn't get their hopes up for such a quick response -- even though they are first responders.
"You're probably not going to get it," he said. "I wouldn't try to anticipate the Christmas Tree."
Then it was on to the racing, which first included qualifying races to determine who would race against whom. Vehicles were handicapped, with similar times pitted against one another in a series of bouts.
Collinsville Fire Department fire fighter Dusty Katich races his 2001 Trans Am frequently at Gateway, but heard about Guns and Hoses from a flier at the firehouse. He was ready to race.
"I've never heard of anything like this," he said Tuesday, beside a long row of cars belching fumes before the start line. "It's a perfect night."
But for many drivers, the race was far from perfect, despite being matched with similar makes and models. Most cars struggled with the green light -- Kepner was right -- and heaved forward, struggling to grab onto the road surface.
Once the smoke cleared, the finals pitted Bob Sampson, an officer of the Pine Lawn, Mo., Police Department, against Sullivan, Mo., Police Officer Steve Webb.
Webb, however, jumped the line and was disqualified, putting Sampson in first place and winning the Hamm trophy.
Gateway also donated $500 in Sampson's name to the police and fire department charity BackStoppers.
Hamm, the Madison mayor and trophy namesake, said he was pleased with the turnout, and expects more departments to take part in coming years.
"I think we're going to see it really grow," he said Wednesday. "It's a good idea."
Plans are already in the works for another "rivalry race" at the track: one between local pastors, and another pitting workers from the Illinois and Missouri departments of transportation, Batycki said.
"We hope this continues to grow," he said. "It's such a natural fit."
E-mail: ccoates@yourjournal.com
