Firefighter Racing is the Best Almost-Motorsport To Exist

"Suuuubaru" (suuuubaru)
07/19/2014 at 12:07 • Filed to: fire trucks

So I was bored on a Friday night, and I saw an ad in the paper for some sort of firefighting competition at a local firehall. I'd previously noticed that this firehall had what appeared to be a drag strip on the premesis, so for the $4 admission fee I went to check it out. Here's what I found:

First of all, the technical term for this is "firematic" racing, and it's a competition between fire departments to see who can perform a bunch of different firefighting tasks the fastest. In many cases, these firefighting tasks require the use of a vehicle. A powerful one at that. Speed is of the essence. However, this being firefighters and all, it also kinda needs to be a firetruck. Thus, the fire departments show up with old fire engines and rescue pickups stuffed with some obscenely large displacement engines (like 500+ C.I.). Oh yeah, and they have a pumper onboard.

These trucks get used for all sorts of odd challenges. My favorite is the ladder event. It's where a bunch of firemen hang on to the back of a truck, with a rolling ladder in tow. The driver floors it for maybe 50 meters, then locks up the brakes. Everybody jumps off the truck while it's still moving, and uses the momentum to raise a ladder onto a platform while a guy climbs the ladder. It's absolutely suicidial.

Here's the Henrietta NY team in action.

Think that's not dangerous enough? Well, that's what's called Class B. Here's a class C "truck" in action (It's a dragster)

The action starts at the 1:00 mark

Seriously, it's like an 1/8 mile drag race, except there's people hanging onto the car so they can jump off and raise a ladder at the end

The ladder event is probably the most exciting truck related event, but by no means is it the only one. There's one where the rasing of the ladder gets replaced by tapping a fire hyradant, then driving a length of hose down the track, where two guys jump off and aim it at a target. Sadly, youtube lacks videos of this, so you'll have to go see it in person.

Oh yeah, and remember how I said those trucks carry a pumper on board?

I wasn't kidding

DISCUSSION (55)

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Suuuubaru
07/19/2014 at 13:33

Kinja'd!!!

'46? Excellent. Open-top trucks are just cool. There's a Matchbox out there of a '52 Seagrave, but I don't think any of open-top Fords.

Suuuubaru > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
07/19/2014 at 13:44

A bunch of teams actually showed up with the open top fords, they were quite a sight to see out there. That blue one pictured wasHenrietta FD's, which pretty much wiped the floor with everyone else

Dusty Ventures > Suuuubaru
07/20/2014 at 22:47

Holy crap! I need to go to this!

t3hbigv > Suuuubaru
07/25/2014 at 10:46

Wow, never thought I'd see the Slo-Pokes on Jalopnik. One of the the few things I miss from my hometown!

Diesel > Suuuubaru
07/25/2014 at 10:47

This must be Midwest, because that's what they all look like.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Suuuubaru
07/25/2014 at 10:53

Add in an offroad course and I'm in. Here's my old ride from my airport ops days 10 years ago. That Oskhosh would go damn near anywhere.

Kinja'd!!!

Scott-R > Suuuubaru
07/25/2014 at 10:56

I think that I remember seeing some of this many years ago on Wide World of Sports or Diamond P or one of those who showed really unique events. I did not know that this was still around.

Really looks like a lot of fun.

'Wägen, EPA LOL > Diesel
07/25/2014 at 10:59

Negative - the teams in this article are from Western NY predominantly. Think Buffalo and Rochester, NY.

Kinja'd!!!

Diesel > 'Wägen, EPA LOL
07/25/2014 at 11:02

Physical Features:

Ugly.

talis1984 > 'Wägen, EPA LOL
07/25/2014 at 11:03

and at least one (quick skim) of the imbedded vids is captioned: "Here's the Henrietta NY team in action." Gotta love how people sterotype.

gabest > Suuuubaru
07/25/2014 at 11:03

More of a sport than Nascar.

'Wägen, EPA LOL > Diesel
07/25/2014 at 11:04

Diesel > 'Wägen, EPA LOL
07/25/2014 at 11:05

You know Midwest ranges from outside NYC limits to LA, right?

'Wägen, EPA LOL > Diesel
07/25/2014 at 11:06

That's why we call it Western NY :P

That Guy > 'Wägen, EPA LOL
07/25/2014 at 11:07

ALL over NYS actually. Deerfield, NY where I am from also has a team and their own track. They used to close part of a state highway in front of my house to run these before they built the track and stands. It always coincided with field days (like a small town fair) and other events that lasted all weekend.

Thunder > Suuuubaru
07/25/2014 at 11:13

Gawddamn! That's unbelievable!

I'm FROM upstate NY - Utica/Syracuse area.

How in the hell did I not know about this?

Michael G. Curry > Suuuubaru
07/25/2014 at 11:23

in long island this is Huge most town firehouses (mine included) have 1/8 mile tracks somewhere in town

Funkthulhu > Diesel
07/25/2014 at 11:35

The midwest is, like, Ohio. Don't lump the Hearland/Great Plains in with your flyover mentality. Also, we've never raced firetrucks in Nebraska that I know of. (But we have had combine harvester demo derbies!)

Diesel > Funkthulhu
07/25/2014 at 11:37

I used to live in Kansas, I feel free to talk shit about any state I want.

townhome > Diesel
07/25/2014 at 11:41

oh really.....and the northeast starts right below D.C. right?

Diesel > townhome
07/25/2014 at 11:42

That's East of New York.

Eric the RC guy > Thunder
07/25/2014 at 11:48

Same here down in Binghamton. This is definitely worth a drive north or west.

ASEp2 > Diesel
07/25/2014 at 12:32

No, "ugly" is the nasty little dangly part highlighted in yellow next to New Jersey.

thesalad > 'Wägen, EPA LOL
07/25/2014 at 12:34

Deleted

thesalad > Suuuubaru
07/25/2014 at 12:41

Records Show that you must live pretty close to me... I went to look up the station near me that does this kind of thing and now then I see that they just had an this past Friday

Their main page has a view from a go-pro on the back of the truck..it's really fun to see.

http://www.mtfd.com/

Watching someone nearly all the way up a ladder before it's attached to the rung is insane.

Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg > Funkthulhu
07/25/2014 at 13:06

Combine Harvester Demolition Derby? Please tell me a video of this insanity exists.

Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg > Scott-R
07/25/2014 at 13:08

I really want to say it was Diamond P, my grandmother ordered almost all of those videos in the 90's, pretty sure I seen it on one of those.

Tommy861 > Michael G. Curry
07/25/2014 at 13:13

I'm from LI too and in the VFD. Fell off the truck when I was 18 and decided not the sport for me.

Tommy861 > Diesel
07/25/2014 at 13:13

Nope its a NY thing, we do it on Long Island, its big.

Axel-Ripper > 'Wägen, EPA LOL
07/25/2014 at 13:16

I saw the article and immediately thought "This must be WNY." I was not disappointed. I unfortunately went to college out of the area immediately after high school, so never did a waterball tournament, but firefighter skills contests are awesome.

As are tractor pulls. Of which there are very few down south.

Tommy861 > Suuuubaru
07/25/2014 at 13:19

Former (briefly) FD racer here. We do it on Long island. When I was 18 I joined the VFD and the race team, my second week of practice I fell off the B truck and twisted my wrist and got road rash down my whole left side and decided this is not the sport for me. I'm still a fireman, and I am the un-official videographer for the team. Its a completely insane sport and the safety is kind f a joke (no sand trap at the end for an out of control C truck, just 3 hay bales). But guys love it.

This is our C truck running a few years ago:

And here is a little documentary video we made for one of our anniversary dinners, showing the firehouse and a lot of racing as well:

That Guy > Thunder
07/25/2014 at 13:30

I believe Cicero has a team or did. Remember them running at our track in Deerfield, just outside of Utica, NY

That Guy > Thunder
07/25/2014 at 13:32

I can't believe you never saw the races posted during the summer if you are from Utica. Deerfield has a team as do a couple other departments surrounding Utica. Always run in conjunction with their field days.

Bighead38 > Suuuubaru
07/25/2014 at 13:41

There is a great documentary that follows a Long Island team for the summer. It goes through the history of the sport as well. I've seen it posted on garage journal multiple times.

Btw there are videos of the truck/hose event. I have seen them posted.

Thunder > That Guy
07/25/2014 at 13:44

I'm originally from Whitesboro. A good friend of mine was even a volunteer... I'm trying to think of with which department.

Now granted, around that time of my life, I was into bicycling, and flying, and not much else. Only later in life did I develop an interest in pretty much anything with an engine.

It's somewhat eye-opening how much I look at on my cousin's Facebook now and go 'hey, that's cool'. I remember him mostly from when he missed a turn on their farm on his homebuilt three-wheeler and messed up his leg on a fencepost... or when he did a nice flyby on his dirt bike when I was bicycling by. They're from Sherburne; now I see all sorts of pics of snowmobile water drags - I gather he and his son are very good at that.

Thunder > That Guy
07/25/2014 at 13:45

Crazy. I lived in Cicero for a while too. Marra Estates, just off Lakeshore Road.

And I thought I needed to get out more NOW... apparently I needed to get out more THEN too...

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Suuuubaru
07/25/2014 at 14:20

Kinja'd!!!

btw, has Denis made an appearance on Top Gear US yet? With him and Adam being coworkers and all...

jershinator > Tommy861
07/25/2014 at 14:41

Which town are those in? I'm from Levittown and split my time between there and Stony Brook. I've heard of these things but never went.

elvinrivera > 'Wägen, EPA LOL
07/25/2014 at 14:46

In Amherst, NY the Main/Transit Fire Station had a dragstrip on their property. I used to pass there everyday and couldn't understand why. I wasn't a WNY native and didn't know about the competitions. One day I saw the crowds filling the stands and asked what was going on. I paid the cheap admission price and had a ball. Teams came from all over the state. The trucks are awsome! The firefighters work like a precision drill team. I'm from NYC and never knew this existed. I lived in the area for 16 years and must have attended 10 10 times. I gained a great respect for firefighters ever since. They work hard and play hard. Best people in the world. They also had a softball league. Never went to the ball games but I'm sure they were a blast.

http://www.mtfd.com/index.php?opti…

Racekar > Suuuubaru
07/25/2014 at 15:01

Come to Long Island, the departments here protect some of the wealthiest towns in the north east and the equipment they have puts most paid departments to shame. The racing B, and C trucks of some departments could shame most drag racers in an 1/8 mile.

They outlawed supercharging and turbocharging years ago because the cars were getting too fast. Many of you were too young but this was a staple once a year episode on "Wide world of sports".

Hans66 > 'Wägen, EPA LOL
07/25/2014 at 15:44

Buffalo and Rochester are in the MidWest. They call Coke "pop', and everything they eat before noon is either bacon and eggs or it's covered with sticky sweet stuff.

When I was growing up on Lawn Guyland, fire department tournaments were huge, and they all had race cars for it. The Baldwin (as in Baldwin Motion) had an actual live axel Corvette, with the body turned aroound taillights first.

ochy38 > Thunder
07/25/2014 at 15:48

I'm from just outside of Utica, too. Had no idea this existed either.. I wish I did.

Racekar > Suuuubaru
07/25/2014 at 17:44

Lindenhurst Snails always had some crazy cars, backwards Corvette, replaced by six wheels and mid engine!

500hpford > Suuuubaru
07/25/2014 at 18:11

Firefighter Racing has been around since 1920s! Check out www.nysdrillteams.com . Their Home Page offers a Memories link with lots of action photos. Cool stuff.

Suuuubaru > Racekar
07/25/2014 at 18:11

damn that's awesome!

Suuuubaru > elvinrivera
07/25/2014 at 18:18

That's the exact station I referred to in the article, always had the same thoughts about the strip when I passed by

Suuuubaru > thesalad
07/25/2014 at 18:23

Right on the money, I'm a native of Amherst

Suuuubaru > t3hbigv
07/25/2014 at 18:26

This whole article's actually based on a Main-Transit hosted event! I live not too far away from that hall

Scott-R > Racekar
07/25/2014 at 18:31

ed So that is where I used to see it. I remember

'Wägen, EPA LOL > Hans66
07/25/2014 at 20:51

Well it's not "soda." ;)

That Guy > Thunder
07/25/2014 at 21:13

When did you graduate from Whitesboro? I graduated in 1988.

sdwarf36 > Suuuubaru
07/25/2014 at 22:18

I'm guessing the track is ESTA in Cicero (1/2 hour north of Syracuse)? I know when I ran there a million years ago, they had lights to 1000ft for the fireman races. And I also remember the Wide World of Sports shows.

Thunder > That Guy
07/25/2014 at 22:55

Class of '93, although I spent my senior year on a bridge program at Clarkson Univ.

XJguy > Suuuubaru
07/26/2014 at 00:57

I live in Long Island NY, specifically Merrick. There is a small race track here where all the local firehouses practice and compete with these pseudo-firetruck race cars. When I first moved here I was like WTF?

Suuuubaru > sdwarf36
07/26/2014 at 23:08

Nah, most of the videos and the basis for the article are from the Main-Transit firehall in Amherst NY, but the setup is pretty similar to what you described