Did Pocono track warn NASCAR fans of severe thunderstorm soon enough?
Some in attendance say there was little or no effort to warn fans until after driver Jeff Gordon had been declared the winner, at 4:55 p.m. That was 43 minutes after a severe thunderstorm warning was issued by the National Weather Service.
“When we finally got home last night, we watched the race on the DVR, and saw the (weather) radar the (NASCAR) crews were watching," James Tenney, who traveled to the race from Walden, N.Y., told the Observer.
“They knew what was coming – we didn’t."
Monroe County coroner Bob Allen confirmed 10 fans were struck by lightning, including Brian F. Zimmerman, 41, of Moosic, Pa. He was pronounced dead at 6:11 p.m.
One fan listed in critical condition has been upgraded to stable, and at least one of the remaining eight fans hospitalized has been released, track officials said. No other names were released.
NASCAR spokesman David Higdon said on a teleconference with reporters that each track must submit an emergency action plan, which the sanctioning body must approve. It would include protocol for severe weather.
“Ultimately (the responsibility) rests with them," Higdon said. “The tracks need to ensure the safety of fans. It’s part of our expectations for them."
Pocono track president Brandon Igdalsky, at a Monday news conference, declined to share the track’s emergency plan.
Asked whether any warning was given to fans, Igdalsky replied: “There was (a warning given), but we’re trying to figure out exactly when those happened."
Igdalsky promised to continue the investigation, and share the report.
“We’ll definitely give away that information," he said.
What is known:
• The track’s Twitter feed posted a message mentioning the storm warning at 4:21 p.m. – with the cars still racing.
• The event was stopped when the red flag waved at 4:43 p.m., after 98 of a scheduled 160 laps.
• With heavy rain falling and flashes of lightning in the distance, the race was declared official at 4:55 p.m.
• The first lightning strike on track property occurred at 5:01 p.m., track officials said Monday.
Bethany Kenney of New Castle, Pa., attended the race with her husband, Larry, and said they heard numerous warnings of impending bad weather before a storm delayed the start of the race, but none before the deadly storm that ended it.
“To be honest, we started to leave early just because the skies looked so bad to the west," she said by telephone. “I heard about the storm warning from listening to the radio broadcast, so around 4:30 p.m. we decided the situation didn’t look good and left."
Kenney said she and her husband saw the lightning strike shortly after 5 p.m. “It literally shook our car as we waited to leave the parking lot," she said. More at Thatsracin.com