The California Hot Rod Reunion is built around horsepower, history, and the people who keep drag racing’s heritage alive. But during this year’s gathering at Famoso Dragstrip, a medical emergency in the pits gave those words a much deeper meaning.
A man needed lifesaving help. Members of the Famoso Dragstrip Fire and Safety Crew and NHRA Safety Safari answered the call, joined by a bystander who stepped forward to assist.
Together, they delivered a victory that could never be measured on a scoreboard.
Famoso Fire and Safety’s Eric Ryan was first on scene and immediately began CPR. A bystander assisted with CPR as the response continued, becoming a vital part of the effort to save the man’s life.
Famoso Fire and Safety’s Dave Wallace arrived next, keeping the patient’s airway clear and supplying oxygen. NHRA Safety Safari’s Ryan Armandt followed, taking the role of lead medic and using an automated external defibrillator, or AED. Their combined efforts helped save the man, who was transported to a local hospital by ambulance.
For Ryan, Wallace and Armandt, the emergency called on the training and preparation that stand behind every response. The bystander also played an important role, assisting with CPR and working alongside the responding safety personnel in the lifesaving effort. Every person had a role. Every contribution mattered.
At a drag race, attention naturally follows the cars. Fans watch the burnout, the launch and the finish. Racers and crews pour everything into earning one more win light.
The safety crews work within that same world, carrying a responsibility that reaches beyond any race result. Their equipment and presence are familiar parts of the track. An emergency like this reveals the people, skills, and commitment behind them.
In the Famoso pits, that commitment became hands-on care for a man fighting for his life. Famoso Fire and Safety personnel, an NHRA Safety Safari medic and a helping bystander brought their efforts together when the need was greatest.
Their names deserve a place in the story of this California Hot Rod Reunion alongside everyone who carried home a trophy. Eric Ryan started CPR. A bystander helped sustain that effort. Dave Wallace cared for the patient’s airway and supplied oxygen. Ryan Armandt led the medical response and used the AED.
That is the team behind a life saved.
Long after the engines fell silent and the race cars were loaded for home, their work stood as a powerful reminder of what the racing community’s safety professionals bring to every event. The Hot Rod Reunion celebrated drag racing’s past. These responders helped give one man a future.
This story was originally published on October 28, 2026. 
