Motorsports Safety and Medical Services

When the race is on, American Medical Response is there. From the green flag to the checkered flag, on the track and off, no other EMS provider possesses the combined experience and operational reach to support motorsports safety and medical operations.

We provide our expertise with the AMR NASCAR and IndyCar Safety Teams, as well as the IMSA Track Services Team — EMS professionals who are extensively trained in motorsports safety and on-track response.

In addition to IMSA, INDYCAR and NASCAR, we partner with the biggest names in motorsports, including the International Counsel of Motorsports Sciences and USF Juniors. We are also proud sponsors of the Women with Drive Summit. For every great track, iconic race and legendary driver, safety is the greatest concern. Our teams provide on-track safety and emergency response, manage infield care centers and care for people inside and outside the venues.

We’re proud to be a part of this tradition and provide care at a moment’s notice for participants and fans alike.

Meet the Safety Team

Safety Team members are extensively trained in motorsports safety and on-track response. We customize every deployment based on the customer’s needs. This may include paramedics who ride in the chase vehicles and provide on-track medical assessment at the scene, fire rescue squads who also ride in the chase trucks and provide on-track rescue, neurologists trained in motorsports head trauma stationed at the infield hospital for driver assessment after an incident, and race control technicians who command and control incident response on-track. We also have the capability of deploying nurses should staffing be needed at the care centers as well as medical direction, post-incident assessments and annual driver/team member physicals. As such, from medics to physicians, AMR is proud to introduce our EMS professionals at work on our safety teams.

Amy McKenney

Sr. Manager, National GMR Motorsports Program

Safety Team Member since 2019
Amy McKenney joined the AMR Safety Team in 2019 as the team Project Manager and now serves as the Sr. Manager for the National GMR Motorsports Program, leading strategy and operations. Amy has more than 25 years of experience in organizational and event management.

Michael Strozyk

Operations Manager, National GMR Motorsports Program

Safety Team Member since 2017
Michael Strozyk joined the AMR Motorsports Program in March of 2017 and currently serves as the motorsports operations manager. Prior to joining the Motorsports Program, he spent a combined 28 years in Law Enforcement and County Government Management in Washington State.

Ryan Stanton

GMR/AMR Motorsports Safety Team Medical Director, Chase Truck Physician

Safety Team Member since 2017
Dr. Ryan Stanton is a board-certified emergency physician and is also board-certified in EMS medicine. He is a full-time emergency physician in Lexington, KY and on the Board of Directors for the American College of Emergency Physicians. He has been working in motorsports/NASCAR events since 2005 and has been a member of the AMR Safety Team since its inception. Dr. Stanton became the medical director of the AMR Safety Team in 2020.

Leonard Edwards

AMR IMSA Safety Team Medical Director

Safety Team Member since 2024
Dr. Leonard Edwards is a board-certified emergency medicine physician practicing in San Antonio, TX and is a graduate of the Motorsports Medicine Fellowship at Indiana University. He previously traveled as a track physician and medic for INDYCAR, INDYNXT, IMSA, SRO, NASCAR and USAC. Dr. Edwards is also a mechanical engineer and former EMT. He brings specific expertise and research in multi-car crashes and has trained more than 130 people in on-track triage for motorsport mass casualty. Dr. Edwards became medical director for the IMSA AMR Safety Team in 2024.

Bert Vargas

Lead, Head Trauma Team and Physician, Neurologist

Safety Team Member since 2017
Dr. Bert Vargas is a sports neurologist, headache specialist, former U.S. Air Force flight surgeon and is currently associate vice president in neuroscience medical affairs at Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis, IN. He is a neurotrauma consultant for IndyCar, the NFL and serves on the NFL Head, Neck and Spine Committee. He joined the AMR Safety Team upon its inception and is one of its original members.

Angela Fiege

Chase Truck Physician

Safety Team Member since 2017
Dr. Angi Fiege was the inaugural medical director for the AMR Safety Team, resigning as medical director in 2020 to develop her grassroots college safety program, “Rachael’s First Week”. She has an extensive background in EMS including 6 years as an EMT/paramedic and 20 years as a helicopter flight nurse/physician. She has been a physician consultant for NASCAR and faculty for the Indiana University Motorsports Medicine Fellowship. She provides on-track medical care for NASCAR, IMSA and IndyCar, and when off-track, works as an emergency medicine and ICU physician at IU Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.

Jeremy Goyer

Chase Truck Medic

Safety Team Member since 2024
Jeremy Goyer has been in Fire and EMS for nearly 30 years in the state of Virginia. Jeremy has a wide range of experience in 911 Fire, 911 Rescue and interfacility transports. He has been with AMR for 8 years, was promoted to operations supervisor for the Salem, VA base after two years with the company and joined the AMR Safety Team in his seventh year.

Jessica Povey

Chase Truck Nurse

Safety Team Member since 2022
Jessica Povey has been an RN for 15 years and counting. Her previous work experience spans from intensive care to medical-surgical and Emergency-Trauma. She also spent the last ten years working with various off-road motorsports teams including Red Bull motorsports as their ground and helicopter medical support both in the United States and abroad. Now, she trains and supports several off-road race teams in her “down-time”. Jessica works full-time as a rotor-wing specialist and air innovation manager for GMR, developing emergency response systems.

John Karuza

Chase Truck Medic

Safety Team Member since 2017
John Karuza has worked at AMR Spokane for the majority of his career and, with an AAS degree in both fire science and paramedicine, has been a paramedic for more than half that time. He is also a member of AMR's Emergency Response Team, having been deployed to several hurricane and wildland fire responses. He has been on the AMR Safety Team since its inception.

Kris Johnson

Chase Truck Medic

Safety Team Member since 2017
A Phoenix, AZ native, Kris Johnson began his career working fire/safety at Phoenix International Raceway in 1998. To this day, he continues to support EMS professionals at the raceway while also working in local Fire and EMS, which he has done for nearly 25 years. Kris is now a field training officer, lead paramedic for AMR Mariposa County and has been on the AMR Safety Team since its inception.

Mathew Stokes

Physician, Neurologist

Safety Team Member since 2017
Dr. Mathew Stokes is an assistant professor of pediatrics and neurology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He earned his medical degree and served his Pediatric Neurology Residency at UT Southwestern. Following residency, he completed fellowship training specializing in pediatric headaches with a focus on sports neurology and concussion. There, he met and worked alongside another AMR Safety Team member, Dr. Vargas. Dr. Stokes started working with AMR and NASCAR after completing training.

Phil Bailey

Chase Truck Physician

Safety Team Member since 2017
Dr. Phil Bailey is a board-certified emergency physician and has been practicing in southern Delaware for the last 15 years. He trained and was chief resident in a busy Level 1 Trauma Center in Philadelphia. Before medical school, Dr. Bailey worked as a 911 paramedic. His motorsport experience started in his late teens as a track EMT at various racetracks in Northern Virginia. Dr. Bailey has been involved with the AMR Safety Team since its inception.

Richard Owens

Chase Truck Medic

Safety Team Member since 2025
Richard Owens has worked in 911 emergency services for the last 34 years in California, but has recently moved to Washington State where he currently works as a paramedic. He has previous experience responding to on-track incidents at the California Speedway, which he began doing in 2005.

Stacy Smith

Physician, Neurologist

Safety Team Member since 2017
Dr. Stacy V. Smith is an assistant professor of neurology with Houston Methodist Neurological Institute and Weill Cornell Medicine. She completed her Neurology and Neuro-Ophthalmology training at Houston Methodist Hospital, followed by a Headache Medicine fellowship at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She practices Headache Medicine, Neuro-Ophthalmology and Concussion Care outside of Houston, TX. She has been part of the AMR Safety Team since its inception.

Stephen Figueroa

Physician, Neurologist

Safety Team Member since 2017
Dr. Stephen Figueroa is a neurointensivist—a board-certified neurologist with additional fellowship training in neurological intensive care—practicing at UT Southwestern in Dallas, Texas. He is medical director of the Neurotrauma ICU at Parkland Hospital and focuses on severe traumatic brain injury patient care. He was also a consultant for the NFL for several years, helping to develop their concussion protocols. He has been on the AMR Safety Team since its inception.

Thomas Sprinkle

Chase Truck Physician

Safety Team Member since 2017
Dr. Tom Sprinkle graduated from Dartmouth School of Medicine and completed his Emergency Medicine Residency at Indiana University, Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. He is a former Air Force firefighter and physician and has been involved with motorsport and event medicine since 2004. He has been on the AMR Safety Team since its inception.

Zach Armstrong

Chase Truck Physician

Safety Team Member since 2020
Dr. Zach Armstrong was born and raised in Indiana and spent his youth watching dirt track races or attending the Indy 500. He completed medical school at Indiana University and trained at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. He previously worked as 99 Chase Truck physician at Kentucky Speedway before joining the AMR team, and now works primarily in the U.S. Virgin Islands on St. Croix.

Daniel Sardina

Chase Truck Medic

Safety Team Member since 2026
As a Scottsdale, Arizona native, Danny began his career with Central Arizona AMR in 2015 working from EMT to Paramedic and currently serves as Flight Paramedic in Arizona. Danny brings a wide vareity of professional experience with him including background in 911 response, interfacility transports, rural EMS coverage, special event paramedicine and critical care transports. Danny began working Motorsports events in 2015 and joined the AMR Safety Team in 2026.

Darrell Nelson

Chase Truck Physician

Safety Team Member since 2023
Darrell Nelson is a board-certified emergency physician and board-certified EMS physician, and is an associate professor of emergency medicine at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He serves as an EMS medical director and vice chairman of the North Carolina State EMS Advisory Committee. Dr. Nelson joined the Safety Team in 2023.

Raymond (Ray) Kennedy

Chase Truck Medic

Safety Team Member since 2026
Ray Kennedy is a dedicated Paramedic Operations Supervisor, a role he has held since 2024. With a career in emergency medical services spanning back to 2006, Ray brings extensive field experience as an EMT, a certified Paramedic, and a Field Training Officer (FTO). Beyond his primary role, Ray is deeply committed to public service, volunteering as a Fire Chief and serving as track safety at the historic Lime Rock Park in Connecticut. He is also a decorated combat veteran of the U.S. Army Infantry, bringing a profound level of leadership and resilience to everything he does.

Leilani LeMonier

Chase Truck Medic

Safety Team Member since 2022
Leilani LeMonier is a Paramedic and Project Manager for our Air Innovations Team, implementing new emergency response technology with our Air Ambulance Services, and has been with AMR for 7 years. She is from Akron, OH where she has worked with local operations and deployed with our Disaster Relief Teams and FEMA response for emergency medical support. Leilani is also a Fire and Emergency Services Instructor for Stark State College in North Canton, OH.

Naveen Seth

Chase Truck Physician

Safety Team Member since 2023
Dr. Naveen Seth is a board certified emergency physician, also boarded in EMS medicine. He is currently the Associate Medical Director for Watkins Glen International Raceway. Away from the track, he enjoys serving as medical director for multiple EMS agencies of varying levels and is honored to represent his region on the NY State Emergency Medical Advisory Council. He is also a member of the NY-6 Federal Disaster Medical Assistance Team. Dr. Seth was proud to join the AMR Safety team in 2023.

Melissa McCarthy

Chase Truck Physician

Safety Team Member since 2024
Dr. Melissa McCarthy is a physician and engineer whose career spans emergency medicine, motorsports safety and military leadership. She serves as an Emergency Medicine physician at Indiana University, a track physician for IndyCar, and works with safety teams for NASCAR and IMSA, while also consulting on safety engineering for INDYCAR. A West Point graduate and former U.S. Army Captain, she later completed her Emergency Medicine residency in Detroit and a Motorsports Medicine Fellowship at IU.

Kate Essad

Physician, Neurologist

Safety Team Member since 2021
Dr. Kate Essad is a fellowship-trained sports neurologist with board certifications in neurology, brain injury medicine and interventional headache. She serves as Medical Director of Concussion and Sports Neurology for Advocate Health in Wisconsin and Illinois. Dr. Essad had several years of experience treating neurological conditions and head injuries in all types of athletes before joining the AMR Safety Team in 2021.

Services

Administrative Support

Pre-season baseline medical evaluations
Medical policy and protocol development

On-Track Safety and Emergency Response

Highly trained physicians and paramedics oversee extrications and provide immediate medical stabilization
Highly trained fire rescue technicians and race control professionals to offer a comprehensive, customized solution
Crews assist with track restoration to expedite the return to green flag racing
Participation in local training initiatives

Infield Care Centers

Advanced concussion and TBI assessments
Post-incident return to racing evaluations
Local Medical Director Support

Venue Medical Services

Coverage for grandstands, first aid rooms and camping areas
Ground and air ambulance transport services

Join Our Team

As part of the Global Medical Response family, AMR can open up a world of opportunities - including the chance to serve on our safety team. From emergency calls to standby medical services to delivering care during a national crisis, there is no typical day at the office.

Complete the form below, and a member of our team will contact you within three business days.

Listed below are the requirements to join our Motorsports Safety Team:

Current part-time or full-time paramedic, employed with a GMR company, having worked a minimum average of 20 hours per week over the last 12 months, with no formal corrective actions on record within the past rolling six months
Current NREMT/P, maintaining certification in good standing
State paramedic-licensed or credentialed in state assigned to support participating event operations, and be able to obtain state and local paramedic credential or license in every assigned event location
Three years full-time 911 EMS experience as a paramedic
Strong communication, interpersonal and critical thinking skills
Demonstrated ability to function independently at a high level
Ability to travel once per month on average for at-track assignment
Ability to provide a letter of endorsement for participation on the team with a one-year commitment from your local management
On-track medical response experience strongly preferred

AMR Corporate Headquarters

Motorsports Safety and Medical Services