TNT Rescue Ford F-350 Outfitted to Make Pro Racing Safer in 2019

Set to debut in February, F-350 is packed with lifesaving equipment to bring a better, quicker safety response to NMRA/NMCA races.

While it is fairly unusual to see a Ford F-350 in action at the drag strip, the Super Duty shown here is one that National Mustang Racers Association (NMRA) and National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) drivers will be happy to see at trackside. These two racing associations has teamed up with TNT Rescue for the 2019 season, and this one-ton Ford pickup will carry an array of the company’s hydraulic lifesaving equipment to every crash on the track next season. With the help of a group of specially-trained first responders, this F-350 will help to make sure that every driver who gets into trouble, gets out of that trouble with as little harm as possible.

Top Notch Safety

The biggest difference between open-world street racing and racing on a closed-circuit drag strip is the level of safety preparation. Of course, street racing has no safety measures and over the past decade, racing associations have worked to consistently make racing at the track safer for drivers. This includes tougher safety requirements for the cars and drivers, but making the sport safer also falls on the sanctioning body and the facility.

With that in mind, NMRA and NMCA have taken a big step to make sure that all of their racers leave the track alive with the help of TNT Rescue and this unique Ford F-350. TNT has been named the “Official Safety Equipment” of NMRA/NMCA for 2019, so a team of specially-trained first responders equipped with tools designed specifically for removing a driver from a damaged race car will spend the season saving lives in the Super Duty pickup shown here.

“We are thrilled to partner with TNT Rescue for our dedicated NMRA/NMCA Safety truck,” says Rollie Miller, General Manager of ProMedia Events, which hosts the NMRA and NMCA. “I have an extensive background in motorsports safety and have worked with their equipment in emergency situations. Our racers can feel safe knowing that we have the equipment and trained personnel to deal with any emergency situation.”

Tools of the Trade

To make this Ford F-350 the ultimate life-saving machine, TNT Rescue has equipped it with an array of hydraulic tools, including a cutter, a ram and a spreader, as well as an electric “combi-tool”. Each of these items is designed to quickly cut or pull apart the body of a car after a crash, but in the case that the race car doesn’t need to be cut open, this truck also has all of your key firefighting equipment.

“Special thanks to Chevrolet Performance Challenge Series racer Bryan Williams, who works for TNT Rescue, for everything he’s done to help us equip the new Safety Team,” said Miller. “We are also working with TNT Rescue to launch a new line of high-end, battery-operated rescue tools that will be released in early 2019.”

The TNT Rescue Ford F-350 will make its debut February 28 as the NMRA teams open its season at the Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout at Bradenton Motorsports Park.

Photos: ProMedia Events

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

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