Shawna Arnold and her boyfriend were speeding from their home in Belmont, New Hampshire, on their way to Concord Hospital.  Shawna was pregnant and having contractions, and the baby was coming faster than their car was going.  When Arnold and company had to pull over, there was only one handy destination:  the parking lot of the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.  It was there when the baby arrived.  Shawna Arnold’s daughter Katie was born in the parking lot at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“He’s like, ‘I can’t drive any faster.  I can’t drive any faster,’ and I’m like, ‘I’m not going to make it. I’m not going to make it.’  And I had a contraction, and I stood up in the back seat on my knees, and I’m not going to make it.  My water just broke,” said Arnold, whose boyfriend ran to the ticket office to get help in the minutes after the baby was born.  “You can’t panic, so you’re thinking, ‘What do I have to do at that point to save this baby’s life?'”

Fortunately for all, there was a motor cycle event happening at the track, which is generally used for NASCAR events, so there were EMTs on hand.  Track director of operations Tom Blanchette has a background in EMT services, so he and other medical personnel administered aid to Arnold and the baby.  Everyone turned out to be okay and, as a bonus, baby Katie has been given free tickets to NASCAR events at the Magic Mile for life by track GM Jerry Gappens.

Tags: shawna arnold, new hampshire, loudon, nascar, new hampshire motor speedway, baby born in the parking lot, baby born in parking lot, unusual births, unusual birth locations, baby born at new hampshire motor speedway, baby born in new hampshire motor speedway parking lot, jerry gappens, concord hospital, katie arnold, magic mile, tom blanchette

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