MIS wins a pair of National Security Awards

Michigan International Speedway has been nationally recognized for its safety and security practices during its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events.

The National Sports Safety and Security Conference and Exhibition will award MIS with the Facility of Merit Award during its annual event Aug. 1 in New Orleans.

The Award recognizes a company that performs above all other organizations making sure that they have the best safety and security practice in place. Recipients of this award may have also shown their kind acts of security by resolving an accident. 

The racetrack was nominated by NASCAR, besting competitors from each professional league and the NCAA.

“We are honored to win these two prestigious awards for our Operations and Security departments,” MIS President Roger Curtis said. “Led by Security Director Jim Hobbs and Barry Gibson, senior director of Operations, our security practices have become well known in the sport. We are honored to be recognized by our peers in all sports and we look forward to providing the best fan experience in the future.”

Hobbs was named the recipient of The National Sport and Security Professional of the Year Award.  This honor goes to a member of management at a venue who has resolved problems dealing with safety and security in a well-organized manner. Hobbs has proven himself a strong leader and set an example to all others.

This is not the first time Hobbs has received an honor. He was also recognized with the NASCAR’s Excellence Award in 2007 and 2011.

A retired deputy sheriff, Hobbs has been in law enforcement for more than 30 years. He’s been at MIS since 1997. 

“It’s an honor for me to receive the award on behalf of the entire team at MIS,” Hobbs said. “All our efforts are done as a team.”

Established in 2006, the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security at The University of Southern Mississippi was created to provide an interdisciplinary academic environment to increase sport security awareness, improve sport security policies and procedures and enhance emergency response through evacuation, recovery operations and crowd management training. For more information about NCS4 and the national conference call 601.266.6183 or visit www.NCS4.com/conference

MIS PR