I saw you getting returned to your pit via pickup late on Sunday...are you okay? ???
I saw her after the LWT SS race. She was bruised, shaken up a bit and highly pissed off, but seemed okay. I'll let her tell the story.
Duc, yes, I'm not seriously injured. Thanks for the concern.
Race #13 was SuperSingles, and I had just taken home my first 1st place finish. I was extremely happy. Plus, the weekend before I had just had my first crash at Arroyo Seco (rear brake lever caught in the corner), so this weekend was important for me to get back on the bike ASAP and get my head back on straight. Your first crash can really mess with you mentally, as I found out. I was going to brush it off and try to get back to my race pace. My goal was to run as smooth as possible and finish upright on the MZ. We had just repaired crash damage and got it back together for Vegas, and I wanted to go home in one piece.
AM LW SS was my last race of the day. I was running much better on the Vegas track (first time there was this weekend) and my weekend was almost done. I got a good start and was trying hard to run a smooth race. Brian (racesbikes) got around me on power on his SV, and opened up a gap. No big deal I figured, I'd just keep my pace and finish the race. About the end of my 6th lap the top experts came around to lap me. #1 Long got around me just fine, and passed me clean. I was in the last turn before the start/finish straight when #3x Jason Catching comes around and goes in on the inside. He slammed into my right side, and I was sliding off the track into the rocks before I knew it. I laid there in the gravel, staring at my bike, realizing an EX just took me out of my race. It took me a bit to get up, and the crash guys brought me in and took me to the paramedics right away. They helped me out of the top half of my leathers and checked my right arm over. The main blow was to the back of my right arm, so it is bruised and swollen badly. My helmet is scuffed from tumbling several times in the gravel. It's a day later and I've got some bruised ribs, and bruises all over, with the arm being the worst. The bike's pipe is trashed, as well as master cylinder and rear brake lever. We just got back home, so we still need to pull it off the trailer and go over it.
What really pisses me off is that a top EX should be able to pass an AM cleanly and with no problems. Long had no problem, and he was around me with ease. It was the last turn before the straightaway. I'm on a freakin' MZ single that has about 45hp. It's not difficult to get around me on the straightaways. People who race with me know of how smooth a rider I am (I am not erratic and hold my line). This was also not a "rubbing is racing". I've gotten used to bikes being in close company and rubbing. This was a hard blow that caused a crash. Several officials saw it (including the head guy, sorry can't remember his name), as well as spectators. The officials that saw it all made a point to tell me that I did nothing wrong, and that yes, he took me out. He was the overtaking rider, and it's his responsibility to pass cleanly and safely. But per the rule book, there's nothing they can really do. It falls under "that's racing". It really sucks, especially to have this experience as a first year racer. But "that's racing" is also dealing with lap traffic. I realize he was dicing with the guy in 1st, but it's not worth risking someone else's life over. We're all out there racing on the same track, so all of us need to be responsible in this sport. Experts aren't pros that need to win to put food on the table for the family. At the end of the weekend we all go home to our families and return to our Mon-Fri type jobs. But getting seriously injured over someone out there not being a responsible racer can affect that. It's the risk we all take in this sport, and we're all aware of each time we put on the gear and start up the bike to head out on the track. But some things are more valuable than a little wooden trophy and a few extra points over another racer.
All in all I will be fixing the bike, cleaning the leathers, and getting back out there. I'm not going to let some idiot ruin my race season. It's good to know the officials will be watching him closely, as apparently there were some other sportsmanship issues. It just sucks that I'm a bit injured and I have to fix crash damage to my bike. But "that's racing." Even though this is my first year racing, the positives far outweigh the negatives, and I'll be getting back out on the track soon.
Also, thanks to Wintex Leathers for making a quality product. The leathers have saved my skin and probably prevented the injuries from being worse. My Arai helmet is off to the crash damage inspectors for review, so hopefully they will be sending it back and it will still be useable.
Oh yeah, I still got a 5th place trophy for that race, even though I didn't cross the finish line. I was 2 laps away from a clean, crash-free weekend.
MZ girl! I am glad you are ok! For the most part! That totally sucks, sorry to hear about you being taken out! I would be a bit upset also if that was me sliding off the track again, especially not being your own doing...heal quickly girl!
Congrats on your win!! Woohoo!! :D
Thanks racerXgirl! :) Yeah, I'll be back out soon. Just gotta fix the bike up (again, ugh) but I'm looking forward to next month's Arroyo race. Hope to see you out there! The track will be run counter-clockwise, which I think is more fun in the twisties. You'll be able to carry a ton of speed into the big carousel off of the back straight on your 125. :)
Oh yeah, the USGPRU race was run up there at the Vegas track, so it was cool to see over 20 of the 125s out there. There was quite a hard race between the top 3 guys all the way to the finish. Totally fun to watch! :)
Just to pipe in my opinion just in case that guy reads the post. I was leading the Lightweight GP race and had 3 riders on my tail. In the slow section between turns 7 and 8, I had the opportunity to stuff an expert on a 125 (that happened to be Mrs Flyin Sawyer) and probably gain a HUGE advantage over the guys chasing me cuz they would be stuck behind her for a few turns. I started inside and when she squared off the turn and came outside-in, I checked up and gave her room, rather than hit her and probably take her out (although it was really, really close...lol). Keep in mind that I am an Amateur, and was leading for only the second time ever, and we all know how antsy I was cuz I messed up in race one going for the lead. Regardless of these factors, I still refrained from taking out another rider to try to help myself win. We all gotta work Monday morning. I hope he reads this and realizes what a jackass he is. ;) Glad you are okay! :D
I am really sorry to hear what happened to you as it makes me sick! Glad to hear you are okay though...
Here goes my story and advice to you as my first race bike a few years back was an MuZ Skorpion Sport Cup as well. What I realized after the first few months of racing was that the most dangerous part of racing was being passed on the last lap of the race by an overzealous EX racer who doesn't have the common decency to play safe! Every race I would have a good time on my MZ until the last lap... but as soon as that leading EX came by you just KNEW there was going to be another one right on his ass and if you were in the way you were in trouble...because he sure as hell wasn't going to tolerate you blocking him from keeping up with Mr. #1 ...who just went by you! You were suddenly less important that a stupid piece of wood...which I don't even pickup anymore after winning races because it is so stupid.
At that point, after being stood-up and almost run off a turn by an EX in a race for the leader (he took the foot or less of the track on the inside of the turn after I was already leaning into it!) I decided it was time to make a change. The key is to become faster...either via machine or via skill....to never get lapped during a race. The point where you become traffic IS the most dangerous part of racing!
I switched from my MZ to an Aprilia RS 250 and dropped seven seconds off my lap time the first time on the bike...no other changes. Guess what...I only got lapped from that point on during 30 min GT races, and usually that intensity is much less!
The only other advice I have is that if you sense or know that you are in a lapping situation, always leave enough track on BOTH sides of you to permit a clean pass. THe bike you are riding and the lap times you are clocking are not fast enough to need to use the whole track. You can dramatically increase your safety by leaving extra track on the inside and outside of the track when you race.
The above is "food for thought" and has helped me dramatically over the years. Good luck and remember...most EX racers, while seeing the RED MIST consider you (as an AM) a nuisance...beware! ;)
Thanks for your opinions, MightyDuc & Bob. My skill is growing exponentially each time I get out on the track. I'm racing in 2 organizations this year, so that's really pushing me along the learning curve. I enjoy racing the MZ too much to change equipment because of some stupid fockhead. I paid the entry fee, I have the license, so I have just as much right to be out there on the track as the experts. I'm not going to let some spineless jerk affect how I race and intimidate me. That's not my style.
Lap traffic is part of racing, and experts should have more than enough experience dealing with it. Heck, in my AM LW SM race on Saturday I stuffed Jim Davis (Expert #3) in Turn 1 because I was having a heck of a race with the amateur guy behind me. I was trying to stay in front of a Kaw. EX 500 by beating him on the brakes into the corners and carrying corner speed throughout (corner speed is the only way I can survive on the MZ). I had to try to open up a gap, since the EX 500 had more power in the straights. As I went into Turn 1 all I saw was a front wheel, and I thought it was the amateur on the EX 500 behind me. I quickly stuffed the rider (since all I saw was a wheel) and flew into Turn 2. Coming out of Turn 2 on the small straight the rider behind passed me and it was expert #3, Jim Davis. He was lapping me, and he could have taken me out on that corner. But he got on the brakes rather than hit me and got around me in the straight, and he probably knew I was dicing with the AM behind me. If I had let him by in Turn 1 (since he was lapping me), then that would have opened the door for the amateur on the EX 500 I was racing to get by me. I was able to hold him off for quite awhile. In the end the AM on the EX 500 got around me on the back straight for the last few corners, so I got 3rd that race.
Any experts that think I'm a nuisance on the track can bite me. I'm going to keep running my races as hard as I can. Oh yeah, next year I'll be the one with white plates on. 8)
Well...just be careful out there! ;)