Kurt Plissken

Kurt Plissken (born July 10, 1981 in Springfield, MA) is a driver that currently competes in the TM Master Cup Series. The 2009 TM Master Cup winner at Indianapolis, Kurt Plissken has a long history of legal problems and run ins with the police blotter. He is defiant in the face of authority and has anti-social tendencies. Often surly and monosyllabic early in his career, Plissken has slowly come to accept the necessity of the business aspect of racing, culminating in the Jack Link's Beef Jerky commercial he shot at the behest of PSI owner William Power. Known for his ice cool demeanor on the track, Plissken has harnessed aggressiveness and lies in wait for an opportune time to pounce, and this temperament earned him the nickname Snake.

Attempted Assassination
After failing to qualify for the 2012 Round of Decatur, Kurt Plissken was milling about the garage area taking stock of the year that had just come to an unceremonious end. He was checking out his last ride possibly ever in his Tonare Thunderbolt trying to figure out what went wrong during his pre-qualifying run. Suddenly and without warning, an unknown man dressed head to toe in Scott Hamilton regalia burst into the garage shouting, "This is for Scott Hamilton you dirty snake!" The man then fired an arrow from a homemade crossbow. The makeshift arrow missed its mark but struck Plissken in the side of his right knee. As others gawked and gasped at the events transpiring, the assailant attempted to reload his weapon. Plissken reacted instinctively and his past Special Forces training kicked into high gear. Grabbing a large socket left on a nearby work bench full of tools and ratchets, Plissken flung the projectile in the fashion of a Chinese throwing star. Plissken's aim was true and with pinpoint accuracy, the heavy metal socket impacted the assailant right between the eyes. The man was momentarily staggered and this was all the time Plissken needed. Witnesses claim that Plissken, with arrow still embedded into his leg, quickly and agilely was able to jump onto the hood of a nearby car located partially between him and the attacker. Sliding off the hood and into a standing position directly facing his assailant, Plissken simultaneously grabbed the weapon and elbowed the attacker right in the nose causing the attacker to relinquish the weapon. Now with the crossbow fully in his possession, Plissken turned it on his attacker by thrusting the stock forcefully into the midsection of the man. Stunned, the attacker then absorbed two rapid blows from Plissken to his face with the stock of his own weapon. The attacker toppled backwards and was finally subdued by several other men in the garage. Plissken was then seen bending over with his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath. Then he was observed looking at his damaged knee area and walking with a very pronounced limp. Witnesses also say that there was substantial amount of blood dripping out of the wound area. Two as yet unidentified drivers wearing what looked to be Master Cup fire suits, got on either side of Plissken and then helped carry him to a nearby golf cart and drove him quickly to the infield care unit for evaluation. Plissken's longtime crew chief, Harold Helman commented, "The madman must not have seen what happened between Kurt and Anthony Griffith earlier this year or he would have thought twice about attempting this crazy stunt." The severity of Plissken's injury is unknown at this time. "Kurt used to be an great driver, but then he took an arrow to the knee," Helman stated.