Ok, let's see.. where to start..
1) Earlier this season, at Summit Main, watched a rider highside coming through 9. For some reason, he deathgripped the bars and was flipped over and through his windshield, then dropped to the track and through the lens I watched as his front wheel ran over his head. He slid to a stop not ten feet from me and turned out to be just fine.
2) Last year. At VIR I was at pit in, shooting the exit of T17/18 - When a rider started a low side slide, saved it then went into a high side. Rider, sliding off track now as the bike hits the curbing and bounces into the air. Rider stops bouncing as the bike comes down.. I have a shot in my archives of a bike sliding across the grass.. an arm sticking out from under one side and a boot protruding from under the swingarm on the other side. Rider was transported.
3) A couple of years ago. Summit Main, T10. Rider highsides, the bike behind him was working on a pass and suddenly has the rider he was trying to pass pitched in front of him. First rider gets broadsided by the second bike at close to the ton. Second bike and rider go down, pitching the second rider to the blacktop. Third bike trying to avoid the second bike hits the first bike and is catapulted into the air. Watched though the lens as it tumbles and bounces with rider three skimming across the gravel trap like a stone on a lake. The first rider comes to a stop and doesn't move. The second riders (visible in a blow up of one shot) head just misses getting the spinning rear wheel of bike three in the face shield by about 4 inches. as it passes right over him.. Riders two and three will walk off bruised and sore. Rider one is transported.
4) Shooting a private event for a specific riders use. His group is in so I'm sitting in an empty flagging station staying out of the sun to wait for his group to come back out when a rider high sides through the turn I'm sitting at. He lands hard and rag dolls to about ten feet from me his bike hitting the tires about twenty or so feet down track from me. Rider doesn't move so I hop the wall screaming and waving my arms to the single flagger working the next station. I get to the rider and he's still not moving. I signal to the flagger for the 'bus and this person (not a pro by any stretch of the imagination) is angrily waving at me to get away from the track. It seemed like minutes going by without the rider answering me and bikes are still whizzing by at pace, me kneeling there with my arms over my head trying to get a flag.. some help.. something.. Rider finally stirs, groans and I try to talk to him while signaling for help. Person working the flag station is now moving in my direction waving for me to get back over the tires and away from the track. Then he runs back to his station and pulls the red flag. Seems one of the riders reported the situation to 'control' and now help was on the way. Rider would be alright but since he was knocked out for a minute or two .. The EMT's weren't taking chances. Corner person yelled at me for not running down to tell him what had happened and since I wasn't 'staff' I couldn't be where I was doing what little I did, he threatens to have me ejected from the event. I almost smacked him. (as I understand it 'Control' reamed him a new one over his ignoring the "A" sign - and not calling in a down rider)
I really have a lot of respect for you guys out there.. and if I haven't said it enough.. Thanks.. really.. That last story was my scariest, since I was there with a down rider and felt.. well.. useless, frustrated, angry and scared all at the same time. All I could think about was 'what if it's really serious.. and I can't get anyone to send help and this poor guy'.. well.. you know where I'm going..
