Just a reminder. If you get the debris flag shown and POINTED at you. Get off line IMMEDIATELY and pull over at the next corner station. It doesnt mean go all the way around into the pit. It means GET OFF NOW!!. Theres a reason its being shown to you. Just think if they start waving it at you in 1 and you go all the way around the track just so you can get into the pit but you were leaking OIL, do you realise how long it would take to clean oil up around a 1.9 mile track? Took an hour to clean up the spill between main gate and T7 at BHF a few years ago. Also it may just save your motor (and your ass) if your bikes wet. It may be nothing more than something rubbing, header wrap, tape flapping in the breeze or something else simple. If its nothing big you'll get sent right back out. We had a few this weekend nod at the corners acknowledging it and KEEP GOING AROUND.
End of practice sessions. More and more are taking an 'extra lap' after the checker is flown and they were displayed the checker previously. Pretty obvious the session is over when you see EVERYONE ELSE pulling in. I dont know WTF is happening, but every time I came around T7 I would glance at the bridge to see the flag condition. We are clearing the track after the last bike goes around. After the last bike passes main gate the gate opens for cars to cross. Sat we had to quickly stop gate traffic because someone decided they needed another lap. Ever see what a bike does to a car hitting it at speed?
Racers who crash and walk back to the pits while the bike is down. Unless you are injured, go help pick your bike up. Not every worker has the ability to pick a bike up by themselves. I only know of a few of us who can. I know you are ticked off, but we didnt drop it. :biggrin: Also it doesnt help me with the crash truck to get the bike back to your pit if you are new to BHF if the rider isnt there. Granted I know most of you guys and you usually pit in the same areas so I know where to take the bike, but when we get bikes from other regions or new racers, well I may not know where they pit then that means bike ends up in tech (which I HATE doing. Less I deal with Burt, happier I am. :biggrin:) BTW if you are getting loaded on the trailer, after its in the chock make sure you see if you have a transponder still attached (better if you are waiting for me to look).
As a addendum to this rant:
After crashing, get out of the crash line. Climb over the wall, and leave the bike alone. Many of us suffer from MSD (motorcycle separation disorder), but you must face reality- you did not just loop your dirtbike, your bike is wadded and probably ain't ridable.
Exception: Fuel tank is leaking AND you have quick disconnects... please remove tank, and take with you over the wall.
Quick question???
This weekend was my first weekend at Blackhawk crashing. I crashed in T5 in middleweight SS. After crashing I instantly bounced up and went behind the guard rail. My bike stopped about 15 feet off the track. The poor corner worker lady hurried over from T6 came down and said we had to move the bike. I told her no problem I would get it out of there myself and ran over to it and pushed it off to the gate right there. I was a little worried and tried to eye the track as I pushed the bike off. Did they have me move it during the race because the gate was right there?
Spooner
Ooh, thats a tricky question... I can't speak for the Blackhawk crew, but I work with the MARRC Crew at Summit and if a rider jumps up and gets themselves to a safe location and I feel I can go get the bike, I'll go get it. If the rider comes to give me a hand, great. But if I don't feel safe getting the bike I sure wouldn't make rider to do it. Usually if I don't feel safe getting a bike its generally real close to the track in an impact zone, so I'll stop the race (don't want someone else to go down and hit it). This is just "rule of thumb" of course...every crash is different.
Quote from: Spooner427 on July 30, 2007, 03:52:56 PM
Quick question???
This weekend was my first weekend at Blackhawk crashing. I crashed in T5 in middleweight SS. After crashing I instantly bounced up and went behind the guard rail. My bike stopped about 15 feet off the track. The poor corner worker lady hurried over from T6 came down and said we had to move the bike. I told her no problem I would get it out of there myself and ran over to it and pushed it off to the gate right there. I was a little worried and tried to eye the track as I pushed the bike off. Did they have me move it during the race because the gate was right there?
Spooner
Bike was probably in a bad area. When I got there you had it against the tires (assuming you are 925am since that was the only bike I picked up from the back of T5:biggrin:). I'm not referring to if you crash, you get up and get away from the track to keep from getting hit, but come back to help like you did. We've had a number of people who just leave to their pit and dont come back. Those are the people I'm referring to.
Eyeing the track when picking the bike up is the best thing to do. You never know when someone else is gonna come slidin in.
I had the debris flag thrown for me at RA. I passed three flags before anyone pointed it at me. it has to be made clear who it's for.
Quote from: Woofentino Pugrossi on July 30, 2007, 01:08:39 PM
.... well I may not know where they pit then that means bike ends up in tech (which I HATE doing. Less I deal with Burt, happier I am. :biggrin:)
WHAT DID I EVER DO TO YOU????? :err:
Did you take it personally when I said you and Jan were in collusion for opportunities to use the Go-Go Gadget ATV? :wah:
Besides, I'm only at Tech during practice sessions. Rest of the time I'm on Hot Pit.
And by the way.... I think Jan is PO'd at me because I wouldn't sell him my front stand for $125 worth of gum!!!! :lmao:
i got the debris flag roebling last year. split the oil cooler thank God I saw it( they were waving like crazy) or T1 would not have been fun the other warnig is when your foot keeps slippng of the peg. missed the checker at daytona this year could not figure out where everybody went. that was embarrassing. and if i'm not hurt to bad i alwys help the conerworker especially with the easter egg hunt.
Quote from: Woofentino Pugrossi on July 30, 2007, 05:38:18 PM
Bike was probably in a bad area. When I got there you had it against the tires (assuming you are 925am since that was the only bike I picked up from the back of T5:biggrin:). I'm not referring to if you crash, you get up and get away from the track to keep from getting hit, but come back to help like you did. We've had a number of people who just leave to their pit and dont come back. Those are the people I'm referring to.
Eyeing the track when picking the bike up is the best thing to do. You never know when someone else is gonna come slidin in.
I was am427. I was the one that was pitted right at that gate there by T5. You showed up after people had already pushed my bike back to pit. I told you sorry for the false alarm and you said you already knew I didn't need a ride but was already on your way and had to turn around out in the field.
So if you crash get yourself off the track and listen to the corner works. They will tell you what to do.
Spooner
Quote from: Court Jester on July 30, 2007, 10:32:16 PM
I had the debris flag thrown for me at RA. I passed three flags before anyone pointed it at me. it has to be made clear who it's for.
It is often difficult to debris point a specific bike from certain points on the track. I know there are several places at Summit that are VERY affective for debris points and some that we basically KNOW won't be seen :(. We understand that it is our jobs to let the riders know WHAT bike we are trying to get off. I have seen some pretty "unconventional" ways of getting riders off the track at Summit :ahhh:, but the point was taken and the riders understood and got off the track immediately. What I have an issue with is the riders who KNOW that they have been debris pointed and then CONTINUE on the track to try to get back to the pits. As a corner worker, it really gets the heart pumping when we need to get someone off the track who is a potential hazard - knowing the consequences if the bike is actually leaking. There have been WAY more times than not that the bikes we have pulled off have ACTUALLY been dropping fluids. Nobody LIKES to be debris pointed, but it sure beats what could happen if we didn't observe the problem!
To all the corner workers a big thank-you. That said, I always pull up to the next corner station when given a debris flag but I must say that some descretion should be used in race situations. I have been given a debris flag numerous times for a loud noise, I use a delrin swing arm protector to prevent the chain from contacting the swing arm and it makes a lot of noise. I know this and several workers now know this but I would hate to lose a race due to this. Fluids, certainly issue a flag, but noises, please use descretion.
Thanks
I don't think we at MARRC have ever pulled someone off due to noise. Always for a very valid reason and normally only after the initial call is backed up by another worker, ASD or race official. We normally don't just go on one call. Typically it goes something like this. "Turn X, to control, can we please keep an eye on bike XXX for dropping fluid." This alerts all other corners to be on the look out. As soon as another corner chimes in confirming or denying, control gives us the go ahead to debris point or the clearance that all is well.
And that is why I always pull off, :thumb: fortunately I've never had the flag in a race situation just wanted to make the point.
Again thanks for all that you guys and gals do for us.