How NASCAR Is Helping Rebuild Collapsed Philadelphia Highway

NASCAR is a high-risk sport where the smallest thing can cause catastrophe. Racing at breakneck speeds is dangerous enough, but wet roads can be deadly for drivers. To remedy these issues, the governing body employs powerful jet dryers that blow air at 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit at the asphalt to dry it out. 

This technology is now coming in handy to help fix I-95 outside of Philadelphia. On June 11, a portion of the highway in the Tacony area of town collapsed, leaving one dead and one injured. As rebuilding efforts get underway, Gov. Josh Shapiro is recruiting the help of NASCAR and one of their superpowers dryers. 

“We need patches of dry time in order to complete the paving, and really importantly, the striping process," the governor said yesterday of the "super cool" process to quick-dry the freshly laid asphalt. "I said the other day it’s the ingenuity of Delco meets the grit of Philly. Let’s layer on top of that the ingenuity of Pocono Raceway, and the amazing guys at NASCAR up there helping us out."

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Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll reportedly came up with the idea to bring in the big guns. He's a former state legislator who once represented a district near the Pocono Raceway. Carroll reached out to officials at the speedway and secured a jet dryer to send more than 100 miles down to Philly. 

Ben May, the Raceway's president, let the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation use the dryer free of charge. He called it a beautiful example of a community coming together to fix a problem using the resources among them. "It’s a very, very, very small contribution to the spectacular work that’s being done by a lot of people," he remarked.

The racetrack will welcome fans for a weekend full of signature NASCAR events, such as the Cup Series and Xfinity Series, from July 21 to 23. 

source https://www.mensjournal.com/news/nascar-helping-rebuild-collapsed-portion-i95