Wave The Checkered Flag

I was enjoying an ice cream cone on a recent warm evening when I was interrupted by a couple of cars whizzing by on the street just feet from me. I followed to see where they were heading in such a hurry. As I arrived at the destination, I found that a group of folks had gathered with their shiny cars and thumping music to see whose car was faster, louder, cooler, and better than the rest.

The street race. The quarter mile. A test of ego and horsepower. Still, as I sat there for another hour watching the spectacle unfold, I marveled at how organized it was and how much time and energy had gone into these cars. Whether or not there was intentionality behind it, these guys had planned an event; and successfully I might add.

It was well attended which means there was some type of invitation, even if only verbal. They had clearly coordinated a location where they should meet, even if it wasn’t legal. These guys had spent money and time creating sparkling, hand-painted, jacked-up, powered-up, juiced-up cars that bounced, revved, smoked, jammed, blinked, and were just about every color, shape, and size you could think of.

There even had to be some type of agenda as the cars lined up two-by-two to race against each other until there was only one left standing at the end of the night. I don’t know what the prize was, but again, the organization that went into getting this group narrowed down to just one winner meant that someone had their event planning hat on.

You could equate this type of event with a more sophisticated, legal effort such as the Indy 500 or the Le Mans in France. Talk about event planning. As with a rodeo (see my blog “A Rhinestone Cowboy“) there are so many logistics and safety measures required for a legal auto race that conventional conference planners would never consider.

I know from first-hand experience that professional auto races have medical personnel standing by. There are also fire trucks, tow trucks, and extraction equipment. Plus, immoveable barricades to keep moving things in and people out, and moveable barricades such as tires and sandbags, to keep from injuring a driver but prevent a car from flying out of bounds. There are zillions of trailers filled with expensive equipment to secure, compressors to power, and gasoline to pour. All of which make for a combustible mixture especially when you throw electricity into the equation which is necessary to power, well, everything.

When planning a closed-track event, the logistics are at least fairly contained, but planning a city-wide event such as the Le Mans, I am sure there are another 1000 details to consider. And, anytime you add the general public into the mix you’re asking for trouble (think Tour de France selfie taker with a sign who took out 3/4’s of the cyclists for several minutes – *eye roll*).

At least these street racers picked a location away from the hustle and bustle of busy traffic. There were very few spectators to potentially get injured, probably only the friends of those who owned the cars. Surely they did not bother to consider any participation waivers, liability insurance, or their need for safety precautions. I’m certain there was no risk assessment performed or an Emergency Action Plan in place. Impressive turnout for an underground event, but don’t quit your day jobs.

Do you know what type of last-minute (or actual) planning goes into a street race? Leave some comments or send me an email. I’d love to know what that looks like!

Don’t forget to like this blog, share it on your social media, and pass it on to your friends!

Check out tracybaer.com for resources for those who work with volunteers including my book Cultivating a Healthy Volunteer Team!