A NASCAR jet dryer normally used to keep moisture off the racing surface at Pocono Raceway will be deployed to assist repair and reopening efforts at a section of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia that recently collapsed. According to the Associated Press, the jet dryer will be used to get the asphalt dry enough for lines to be painted, as rain is in the forecast for the coming days as efforts are made to reopen the East Coast's main north-south highway.
Both the north and south sections of I-95 in Philadelphia have been closed since a June 11 accident that saw a tanker truck hauling gasoline catch fire under an overpass, causing an entire portion of the northbound section of the highway to collapse and killing 53-year old truck driver Nathan Moody. As the state of Pennsylvania makes a temporary fix to the road to resume the flow of traffic, Pocono agreed to make one of their jet dryers available following a conversation with Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll, who was once a state lawmaker representing Long Pond where the racetrack sits.
Pocono Raceway president Ben May told the AP that the track would not charge the state for use of the jet dryer, calling it "a very, very, very small contribution to the spectacular work that's being done by a lot of people."
The jet dryer, which is capable of blowing hot air at 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit, is normally used at Pocono to dry the racing surface in the event of rain or to blow off other moisture. With rain expected this weekend in Philadelphia, the vehicle will be used to dry a fresh section of asphalt as a temporary fix to I-95 is constructed.
Pocono loaning its equipment to I-95 repairs comes a month before its annual NASCAR race weekend in July, which includes the Pocono 400 for the NASCAR Cup Series.
