Guardian Fleet Services teams up with F1 at the inaugural Miami Grand Prix

The Formula One Miami Grand Prix took over the sporting world and overwhelmed Miami Gardens on Sunday May 8. With over 2.6 million viewers on TV and more than 86,000 fans in attendance for race day, this was a huge event for the Miami market and South Florida.

Through Formula One’s relationship with A Superior Towing and their Severe Incident Recovery Team (SIRT), Guardian Fleet Services had the honor of participating in the event to provide towing, recovery, and specialized transportation services throughout the entire weekend-long event.

Guardian Fleet Services, partnered with Emerald Towing and Recovery, had a team of 13 drivers from A Superior Towing, Emerald, Alligator, Crockett’s, and Kauff’s, with eight trucks inside the paddock to assist on the track, as well as five trucks outside to help break up congestion around the stadium.

The Miami Grand Prix was the first event of its kind at Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins. The track, known as the Miami International Autodrome, was constructed over the last 12 months. It is 5.41 km (approximately 3.36 miles) long and took 24,000 tons of asphalt to construct.

This event was a massive undertaking that required a tremendous coordinated effort to pull off on the part of the 10,000 employees who participated.

Starting on Wednesday May 4th, our team of drivers worked 12-hour days in the 90+ degree heat to ensure everything ran smoothly both inside and outside the Autodrome.

Inside the event, Guardian Fleet Services trucks worked to clear the track of wrecked vehicles, hauling them back to the paddock. In total, the recovery team towed about 17 wrecked cars all weekend. The Formula One vehicles require telehandler lifts to be lifted onto our flatbeds due to their build and minimal ground clearance. Each vehicle has a value of approximately 10 million dollars.

Outside the stadium, Guardian Fleet Services was contracted by Hard Rock Stadium and Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to help cut down on congestion and assist the 242,955 fans coming in and out of the event throughout the weekend. We had flatbeds, wheel lifts, and heavy-duty tow trucks on call to help tow and transport vehicles around the stadium, including cars, motorcycles and tour buses.

On top of working directly with Formula One and Hard Rock Stadium, Guardian Fleet Services is currently fulfilling a contract with the Florida Turnpike, meaning we also had trucks on call during the race to assist with the turnpike traffic inevitably caused by the historic event.

We are incredibly proud of the team that worked on this event and the way they represented our family of companies. Their willingness to do whatever was necessary displayed the priority we place on professionalism and prompt worry-free service.

Multiple members of our leadership have worked on similar projects in the past, partnering with NASCAR and IndyCar. But the Formula One Miami Grand Prix was the largest event of its kind we have ever participated in.

We are grateful to have been part of this experience and look forward to the possibility of working with Formula One in the future.

“I’m grateful for the tremendous leadership and organization between Sean Loscalzo, DJ Bingel, and Jim Jennings for leading the charge to service the Formula One Miami Gran Prix for its inaugural event. Our tow operator’s dedication and professionalism was overwhelming in difficult conditions and long work days to make sure we shined in the spotlight. To each member of the team, we offer our thanks and gratitude! We are proud of you all!” Thomas Tedford, COO of Guardian Fleet Service, said.