First Responders Foundation Race Team

Just two cool USAF vets on the track representing the First Responders Foundation.

April 25th recap. Once again, the sport compact class led the way with a field of 30 cars. Bruce Cross and Jim Cahill were both in heat 3 with Bruce finishing 8th and Jim in 9th. Nice run for Bruce in a new car. Both were unable to get through the B though. Cars in good shape with some minor tweaks that need to be made. Guns & Hoses final practice coming up this Wednesday night at 5:30. Nice job by Shelby County Speedway on a gutsy rain call and getting the show in.

Tonight is the first night of weekly racing at Shelby County Speedway. Come check us out! Bruce Cross will be driving our backup car 74 which used to be raced by Bryant Grubb under due to needing an automatic for a left calf injury. Hope to see many of you there. First Responders Foundation.

Close to getting the season started. Good news and bad news. Bruce Cross tore his left calf muscle, no surgery required but in a boot for a while which makes pushing the clutch in his car a no go. The good news is we acquired a back up car thats an automatic. Being stripped down and will be ready. Guns & hoses racing is set with a field finalized at ten on May 16th. Announcement coming tomorrow with the the first responder drivers matched to their cars and mentoring owners. Let’s get the season started! First Responders Foundation.

The 2026 season is upon us. Come see us out front of Baxter Arena on Sunday, March 15th at the Guns & Hoses hockey challenge! Free wristbands while they last…

Welcome to the 2026 racing season! The 2026 team consists of the D1 Sport Compact of Jim Cahill and the 74 Sport Compact of Bruce Cross. Bruce is a seasoned racer who is stepping back into the scene. He is a retired United States Air Force Chief Master Sergeant who was highly decorated. Both he and Cahill are USAF veterans. They are both committed to furthering the mission of the First Responders Foundation. Please welcome Bruce to this new mission! More to come…

The 2025 Guns & Hoses racing and tribute to Trooper Kyle McKacy is in the books! Congrats to Dave Archibald from Walnut Fire on taking the trophy. The racing was great including one photo finish that went to Madi Nelsen in one of my cars. The First Responders Foundation is grateful for all of the support of Shelby County Speedway Harlan, Iowa. A great partnership for a great cause. This would also not have been possible without the help of my fellow sport compact drivers loaning their cars. My personal thanks to all of you for putting your trust in me for this event. This will be back in 2026, and the first responders who weren’t able to get in this year will next year. I’ll be making an announcement after the first of the year on the application process. Josh JFresh Minnehan, you also went above and beyond! Jessica McCulley and Douglas Batz, thanks is not enough for the two of you as you pull off near miracles week after week. Vanessa Bang and Brad Allen, thanks for all the running around and details you handled. The D1 racing season will come to a close with the Tiny Lund at Shelby County Speedway. Only managed to finish 11th in points after some setbacks but still had an enjoyable season.

Happy to support and display the race car at this event! Please swing by and visit with us and all the other first responder vehicles…

Time to update this page. First, our team of first responder drivers is down to the D1 of Jim Cahill. Brad Lucas has taken on a side business while still serving with Omaha Fire. Adam Smith has switched from Red Oak Police to Council Bluffs Fire and has retired from racing. Melissa Latture has taken on a much heavier travel schedule with the Army, resulting in limited opportunities to race this year. When possible, she will compete at Eagle this year. Jim continues to perform well, and the significant news is that he is reviving Guns & Hoses racing after several years of the event being held at the now-closed I80 Speedway. The 2025 event will take place at the Shelby County Speedway in Harlan, IA, on July 19th. A growing list of first responders has already expressed interest in participating in the sport compact racing event on dirt. This year's reverse tribute lap and opening ceremony will honor the legacy of NE State Trooper Kyle McAcy. First responders interested in racing should visit the First Responders Foundation website, navigate to events, select Guns & Hoses, and complete the registration form. We will provide updates on weekly team racing results and Guns & Hoses throughout the season. Thank you for engaging with us and supporting your local first responders. 🚔🚒🏁.

The smiles say it all! Braved the weather and caught a break from the rain to support the First Responders Foundation and the . Now we concentrate on going racing…. Melissa Latture.