Post them up! 8)
Mine was tumbling at 90, broke both ankles and wrist, before I smartened up and went limp ;D
Felt like I was being beaten with boat oars for an eternity.
When I stopped my body was humming like I was being hammered w/ cattle-prods :'( Had to crawl away from the track :P
Most spectacular was at T7 Gateway....I didnt get to enjoy it as I was asleep.
Lets hear some good stories! Pix, even better!
8)
Highside, turn 1... RA
Not sure what happened.
Rear wheel walked out like I was on ice, before I could even realize what was going on...
I was flicked like a bugger.
Sky, pavement, sky, pavement... (it goes on like that for awhile)
After math, I have hit my head atleast 7 differant times (based off of marks on the helmets).
Once I finally came to rest in the pee gravel, I just got up and enjoyed the "star" show.
You like pictures?
Well I hopped on my buddies bike shortly after that...
I present you with the back cover of the '05 Slider calander. ;D
XIII
In the end, K3 helped me by talking me out of getting on the bike again...
My worst one would probably be when I went straight instead of turning at the dogleg before 7 at blackhawk. I didn't hit the brakes until I was in the grass and by then it was obviously too late. Cracked ribs and a compressed vertbrea was the end result. When the cornerworker finally got to me in the waist high weeds, he said that he didn't even know where to start looking for me because I was so far off the track. To quote a shirt that I have, "All I remember was ground.. sky.. ground.. sky.. ground.. sky.. Medivac."
The only other bad crash that I have had was at the last Blackhawk. I broke my heel, ankle (into multiple pieces), and top of my tibia. But that wasn't really a bad crash. I just landed wrong. ;D
I have seen a lot better crashes out there. I am sure that somebody will chime in.
Oh, and Xian, can I see her thong through those thin white pants? Nice...
QuoteSky, pavement, sky, pavement... (it goes on like that for awhile)
YUP! ;D
QuoteYou like pictures?
I present you with the back cover of the '05 Slider calander. ;D
Post it up! 8)
QuoteIn the end, K3 helped me by talking me out of getting on the bike again...
K3 is seXXXy :o :o :o :o
http://www.sliderphoto.com/bin/photos.asp?Racer=989&Event=042304
Thank you Jack
XIII
I thought you were gonna save it in this one ;D
(https://www.ccsforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sliderphoto.com%2Fimages%2F042304%255Cthumbs%255Cdsc_8676.jpg&hash=c8345f9c1ea1ac7199d4e9b19ffcc83767f14d0d)
Nice sequence 8)
Highside in T5 during WERA 24-Hours of Willow in 2000. Closed head injury. Broken collarbone. 4 broken ribs. Punctured lung. First thing I remember is looking up at the roof of a moving ambulance strapped to a backboard.
EMT: "Do you know where you are? Do you know what day it is?"
Me: "Ah, no...um...at a racetrack? On a Sunday?"
EMT: "You're on the way to Antelope Valley Hospital. It's Saturday."
Me: "Where's Antelope Valley?"
EMT: "You were racing at Willow Springs."
Me: "But I live in Milwaukee. Did I move to California?"
Sadly, I had not moved to California. But I did live in the Antelope Valley ICU for 4 days...
T9 at MAM last year('04) on sat. in middleweight supersport. went into it just like every other lap all weekend, but this time i was missing a front break lever...and i didn't know that! needless to say i didn't get slowed down enough to make it. and if anyone else remebers that weekend, it was really wet off the track. went off and the front wheel just stuck in the mud. i then proceeded to do several cartwheels 2-3 before i realized what was going on and finally let go of the bike.
oh yeah that was my 3rd wreck of the day ;D
Hmmm worst crash I'd have to say it was on the street for me. I was doing a simple stand up wheelie. My buddy was riding next to me for light (it was dark out). It was a 4 lane road (2 north and 2 south) we came up on two cars (this part has really nothing to do with the crash but the 2 off duty cops is just my luck) doing the same speed so I was feeling kinda sassy so I passed them on the shoulder while still in the wheelie. Got back into my lane and I used my turn signals. So I go over the hill down the hill well the road comes up to a stop light which was about a ¼ mile away I figure I better set this wheelie down cuz we were coming up on traffic and whatnot. So I set it down, well my r6 had a different idea, it really didn't want me on it anymore...lol I bust into a tank slapper, which isn't really a big deal cuz my bikes have tank slappers all the time. This is what I remember....."wow this thing is really slapping oh I got it, wow that was close" then the next thing I remember is waking up in the Ambulance. I tank slapped so bad where my bike left skid marks (which looked like a car spun out) on the road. Well I held on until the end, the bike pulled me down and pile drove my head into the ground at about 90mph or so. I cracked my RX7RR4 and knocked me the f-k out... Thank god there was no curb or guard rail...I pitched it right at the edge of the shoulder and went tumbling thru the ditch (as did the bike)...the only road rash I had was on the top of my right hand cuz I was holding onto the clip ons so hard...lol. (keep in mind I was fully geared up....lol I had my helmet on, shorts and a sweatshirt without gloves) but I had a severe concussion and tore tendons in my left had. But other than that I was okay. But I would not be here today if I didn't have my helmet on without a doubt!! Well the cops that I passed actually keep us out of jail...lol you gotta ask Jeremy Bentz (aka fatkid or jeremy271). Algonquin PD which were the first cops to show up, good thing we were about 750 feet out of their jurisdiction, they wanted to hang us all ...lol county showed up and from what I hear actually told the Algonquin popo to get lost it's not their jurisdiction. The off duty cops in the car that I passed were pretty impressed not really from the wheelie but from me using my turn signal while still in the wheelie persuaded the county cops to not write anyone. Plus I guess the arresting officer thought that I thrashed my bike bad enough which would cost me plenty..lol But I do have to say the off duty cops and the arresting officers were very cool cuz they showed up later that night to the ER to make sure I was okay...
As the saying goes....crashing sucks!!!
Now we gotta get Jeremy (aka fatkid or jeremy271) to tell how to took out about 8 trees with his rib cage....lol
If cars count....
;D Cartwheeled (not just rolled over but CARTWHEELED nose over rear) a car at Riverside International Raceway in 88 during practice. No broken bones or serious injuries, but had some serious bruises from the SImpson 5pt harness. ;D I had a video of it. Car was probably 15' above the grass. Cleared teh armco and landed on the hill outside of T7. Motor & transaxle assembly came out, lost a front wheel, both front fenders and 1 rear fender, pass door, bonnet and boot lids came off.
I've been really lucky so far. I've had dozens of yard sale crashes and cubic sh1tloads of pain, but no really major injuries. I got knocked out at Gateway once and brused a kidney, and I've dislocated a shoulder or five, but that's been about the extent of my injuries.
There's a pretty spectacular crash discripition or two in HIGHSIDE! ;D
last year, Friday practice at BHF. tucked the front in T4 and went head-first into the tire wall. Spectators said I was still in the air when I hit the tire wall.
I hit so hard I thought I hit the bike. I laid there wondering if I broke my neck or not. It was a pretty frightening time...
Compressed C4-5 vertabra in my neck. It sucked...
My worse crash was on the street for sure! For some reason I bought this big heap of a turd motorcycle called a 1984 Honda VF1000F. The bike was pretty much mint when I bought it, made about 100hp, but weighed about 10,0000 pounds, and handled like absolute crap. I looked like a little dwarf riding the huge thing. Anyway, I was blasting down Michigan City Road one early morning in Calumet City south of Chicago after a night of partying heading home. I rolled the gas on, shifted out of second into 3rd and grabbed a huge handful of throttle in the on coming lane as I was passing a car. THIS IS WHEN IT GOT BAD! I hit a bump or buckle in the road weird and the bike started to tank slap. With my lack of experience I let out of the gas really hard. The big V4 didn't like that at all and the ass end jumped out to the left, then jumped to the right and to left again when it hooked up and sent me flying over the bars through the air. All was quiet now, as I was sailing through the air. The sound of a slight breeze, and all time was in slow motion. When I hit the ground I tumbled what seamed like 10 or 15 times. Lucky I was wearing my Shoe helmet because I hit my head about the same amount of times. As I enjoyed the Little stars floating around I noticed I was shot rite out of my shoes and missed a tree by about a foot. My shoes were gone and I was in no shape to find them. I could barely walk because my feet where so bruised and beat up. I was able to stumble for a while to hitch a ride back to my friends' house I just left, and we cleaned up the crash before the cops came. We found my shoes about 100 feet apart from each other and a yard sale of parts all over the woods. The big turd was destroyed. The worse part about the crash was I got poison oak all over my arms and upper body.
I racked myself jumping my bicycle once. :P
so far ( knock on wood) T 17 at VIR. All I remember is the front end tucking and over the bars I went plowing face first into the ground. saw stars and very bad should pain for about a month.
QuoteHmmm worst crash I'd have to say it was on the street for me. I was doing a simple stand up wheelie. My buddy was riding next to me for light (it was dark out). It was a 4 lane road (2 north and 2 south) we came up on two cars (this part has really nothing to do with the crash but the 2 off duty cops is just my luck) doing the same speed so I was feeling kinda sassy so I passed them on the shoulder while still in the wheelie. Got back into my lane and I used my turn signals. So I go over the hill down the hill well the road comes up to a stop light which was about a ¼ mile away I figure I better set this wheelie down cuz we were coming up on traffic and whatnot. So I set it down, well my r6 had a different idea, it really didn't want me on it anymore...lol I bust into a tank slapper, which isn't really a big deal cuz my bikes have tank slappers all the time. This is what I remember....."wow this thing is really slapping oh I got it, wow that was close" then the next thing I remember is waking up in the Ambulance. I tank slapped so bad where my bike left skid marks (which looked like a car spun out) on the road. Well I held on until the end, the bike pulled me down and pile drove my head into the ground at about 90mph or so. I cracked my RX7RR4 and knocked me the f-k out... Thank god there was no curb or guard rail...I pitched it right at the edge of the shoulder and went tumbling thru the ditch (as did the bike)...the only road rash I had was on the top of my right hand cuz I was holding onto the clip ons so hard...lol. (keep in mind I was fully geared up....lol I had my helmet on, shorts and a sweatshirt without gloves) but I had a severe concussion and tore tendons in my left had. But other than that I was okay. But I would not be here today if I didn't have my helmet on without a doubt!! Well the cops that I passed actually keep us out of jail...lol you gotta ask Jeremy Bentz (aka fatkid or jeremy271). Algonquin PD which were the first cops to show up, good thing we were about 750 feet out of their jurisdiction, they wanted to hang us all ...lol county showed up and from what I hear actually told the Algonquin popo to get lost it's not their jurisdiction. The off duty cops in the car that I passed were pretty impressed not really from the wheelie but from me using my turn signal while still in the wheelie persuaded the county cops to not write anyone. Plus I guess the arresting officer thought that I thrashed my bike bad enough which would cost me plenty..lol But I do have to say the off duty cops and the arresting officers were very cool cuz they showed up later that night to the ER to make sure I was okay...
As the saying goes....crashing sucks!!!
Now we gotta get Jeremy (aka fatkid or jeremy271) to tell how to took out about 8 trees with his rib cage....lol
Heh... I had blood all over my face and glasses from when your hand smacked me in the face while you were lying in the ditch. It took your brother and I a good 5 minutes to find your ass in the dark. Had you flown another 5 feet you would've been under water!
My worst was definitely in April of '03 at BHF. Got to the track kinda late, and convinced the guy at track-out to let me out with the expert practice group (I was still an am at the time.) Got a few good laps in, the tires warmed up a little, started to settle into a good pace. Was proud of myself for passing as many experts as I did. Pass a guy through T6, try to go deep into T7 in hopes I don't hold the guy up... and get a liittle wide - was within ~6 inches of the edge of the track. Wasn't a problem - except the white plate I just passed in T6 tried passing me back, ran wide himself, and bumped me off the track just as I was about to get on the brakes.
This being the fastest part of the track, the outcome wasn't good. 140mph in the grass after 3 days of pouring rain meant I wasn't going to stop using the brakes. Once I cleared all the "nice" grass, and made it out into the wilderness... I hit some sort of pothole. The bike stopped - I kept going. Came to lying flat on my back, cold, wet. Wound up breaking my shoulder in a couple places, and didn't get back on a bike until the 4th of July weekend at MAM, just for practice. Didn't actually RACE until the ROC that year.
My funniest crash was at RA in '04. Ice cold out. Spent the first half of the day putting my bike together (just had the motor done.) After fighting with the typical fat-head-syndrome-plagued NESBA control rider, I got my bike tech'd and went out on the track. Made it to T5. 5mph, creeping along due to traffic and temps... and I somehow manage to highside myself (??!!) I stand up, pick up my bike, the corner workers grab it for me, and I walk over and hop in the ambulance to have the med shed folks check me out.
Everything seems fine, the nurse tells me I can go, and to be nice, decides to walk with me back to my pits. We get outside, and I realize I'm not quite sure where I am.
Nurse: Where are you pitted?
Me: Hmmm. I don't know.
Nurse: You don't know where you're pitted?
Me: Nope.
Nurse: Who did you come here with?
Me: Um, probably my friend Dan. We always go to the races together.
Nurse: Do you remember how you got here?
Me: Nope.
Nurse: Okay. Come back inside. You're going to the hospital.
Me: Ok.
Funniest feeling, not knowing where you are, and losing the last 5-6 hours of your life. I checked out fine at the hospital, and it eventually all came back. I smacked my head pretty good apparently - there was a nice chunk taken out of my helmet.
30th birthday two years ago my buddy brings over his brand new (one week old) Aprillia Mille R Haga Replica (#76 of 200 ever built)
I made it one block before a HAND PAINTED CAMOUFLAGE PICKUP WITH A WOOD FRONT BUMPER decides to take me out.
$7,000 in damage and it took 5 months to get all the required replacement parts from Italy.
A lady standing at the intersection says to the cop's when they got there "that A-hole in the truck ran into that guy on the bike" I was like, "yeah, thats what happened." The guy in the truck was like "yeah, thats what happened!"
QuoteHighside in T5 during WERA 24-Hours of Willow in 2000. Closed head injury. Broken collarbone. 4 broken ribs. Punctured lung. First thing I remember is looking up at the roof of a moving ambulance strapped to a backboard.
EMT: "Do you know where you are? Do you know what day it is?"
Me: "Ah, no...um...at a racetrack? On a Sunday?"
EMT: "You're on the way to Antelope Valley Hospital. It's Saturday."
Me: "Where's Antelope Valley?"
EMT: "You were racing at Willow Springs."
Me: "But I live in Milwaukee. Did I move to California?"
Sadly, I had not moved to California. But I did live in the Antelope Valley ICU for 4 days...
I saw your helmet from that crash over the weekend. Bet your wondering how I got in your office ;D
short vid of mine
seperated hip and shoulder, banged up pretty good
http://bigdeezul.com/motorcycle%20hi-side.wmv
Mine was racing Wera last year for the first time. First weekend as an expert down at Jennings, first practice session on saturday brand new 04 R6 3rd lap around ,still don't know what really happened but was tossed like a booger at about 110 mph, as I hit the ground I remember thinking this really hurts. Tumbled through the grass and finally stopped, try to pick myself up no way thats happening, collapse on ground. At this point I can not breath feeling really crappy, ambulance shows up and does the whole deal of strapping me up and what not. Next we start off to the hospital in Georgia and half way there I am moaning and groaning and having major breathing problems, the EMT lady in back with me freaks out and makes the other EMT stop the ambulance and switch duties cause shes scared. Now I'm SCARED thinking these people don't know what the f*%k they are doing. Anyway made it to the hospital and ended up with a fully collapsed lung, shattered schalpula and 3 broken ribs. And one week in the worst hospital I have ever been admitted into.
QuoteMy funniest crash was at RA in '04. Ice cold out. Spent the first half of the day putting my bike together (just had the motor done.) After fighting with the typical fat-head-syndrome-plagued NESBA control rider, I got my bike tech'd and went out on the track. Made it to T5. 5mph, creeping along due to traffic and temps... and I somehow manage to highside myself (??!!) I stand up, pick up my bike, the corner workers grab it for me, and I walk over and hop in the ambulance to have the med shed folks check me out.
Everything seems fine, the nurse tells me I can go, and to be nice, decides to walk with me back to my pits. We get outside, and I realize I'm not quite sure where I am.
Nurse: Where are you pitted?
Me: Hmmm. I don't know.
Nurse: You don't know where you're pitted?
Me: Nope.
Nurse: Who did you come here with?
Me: Um, probably my friend Dan. We always go to the races together.
Nurse: Do you remember how you got here?
Me: Nope.
Nurse: Okay. Come back inside. You're going to the hospital.
Me: Ok.
Funniest feeling, not knowing where you are, and losing the last 5-6 hours of your life. I checked out fine at the hospital, and it eventually all came back. I smacked my head pretty good apparently - there was a nice chunk taken out of my helmet.
That was funny...lol
when I came down into T5 area..and saw you and mike in the gravel trap...I was like what did these *meatheads* do....lol
I'm glad you turned out ok jim
Well, got two for ya... Start off with the motocross one first.. Just got my AMA Pro license and thought I was tough sh1t.I was down in Florida for three months training for the upcoming Supercross season and practicing on a sand supercross track riding a YZ 250, at the time I weighed about 135 pounds and really wasn't strong enough to control the bike the way I should. The faces of the jumps were all rutted and I was hauling a$$ toward a 80 foot triple. The ruts were so deep that I drug my footpegs on the face of the jump and in doing so slowed the bike enough so that I landed right on top of the third landing, I got thrown over the bars and landed on my chin with the rest of my body still coming over the top of my helmet. Long story short I ended up breaking my C-7 vertebra and having to drive my motorhome back from Florida wearing a neck brace which I had for about four months. The other was at BHF 2004 early morning first practice of the day on my SV coming down the back straight top of 5th gear I noticed a bunch of smoke in the last turn. I thought nothing of it and as I entered the kink I lost the front. So I lowsided the bike at a good clip and as soon as I hit the ground I started ragdoll thing, next thing I know I'm out in the weeds trying to walk to my bike. My left ankle was swelling in my boot and it was very sore, I tried to pick the bike up but couldn't do it, So I just sat on the bike while it was on it's side. I ended up breaking the ankle in three spots and severely crushing everything in my foot. The doctors thought I was going to lose my foot because of compartment syndrome, I kept the foot but I still have internal bleeding so it's all discolored and swollen more then a year after the crash. Maybe I'll get it looked at this winter, maybe. Oh I can't leave this one out, at the first Autobahn race this year I was on my mechanics Honda Hawk in the GTL race. I remember going through the half way flags and I was stoked because I just passed Brian Lacy and I had just caught Ed Key, (something I had never done before). Now I only know what Ed told me because I don't remember anything after the half way flags. I guess entering T4 there were some backmarkes in front of Ed and there was a waving yellow, the backmarkers got on the binders and Ed choped the throttle, I'm not sure if I was looking through the corner and didn't see what was going on or what but I plowed the back of Ed and I went flying. I remember coming to in the ambulance and trying to sign my release forms but I couldn't hold my hand steady so my Mother filled out the papers and I started walking back to where I thought we were pitted, But my Dad asked me where I was going and I had no Idea what track I was at. Luckley Ed didn't crash, and I ended up taping my broken ribs and racing the next day. Plenty of more crash stories but I'll leave it at that. ;D
Highsided in T15 at MAM. Almost got ran over too. Pics made it into the June issue of Roadracer World magazine, thanks Dean :P.
http://www.momentumphoto.net/events/trackaddix/05apr10/1430school/index_7.html
Highside Turn 11, Homestead, December '04.
Man that was nasty! Landed in the middle of the track, too! Fortunately my bike was protecting me and everyone had to go around it so I was safest just lying in the middle of the track.
Couldn't stand for more than 10 minutes at a time for two weeks without passing out, but was on a plane 2 days later to Puerto Rico.
QuoteI saw your helmet from that crash over the weekend. Bet your wondering how I got in your office ;D
Hmm. I have a pretty good guess (Dora must have been showing you around?)
Yeah, I don't know why I keep those old crashed helmets. I just can bear to throw some of them away. Don't want them at home though. My wife is fine with me racing (and crashing) as long as I don't get hurt. ;)
Pick a year.
The humble origins of "Super Dave", the name that stuck, started in May of 1987 at Blackhawk Farms Raceway. My third race weekend. I was racing a GSXR750, the first motorcycle I ever owned and the first motorcycle I ever rode. Additionally, I was racing a GSXR1100 in the heavyweight superbike class in the WERA National Endurance Series. I think that bike was the third bike I ever rode. I rode my friends RZ500 race bike once before. To make the whole weekend even better, I just purchased a cheap used RZ350 race bike from a mutual friend...stock pipes.
I go out for my stint on the GSXR1100. I had a few laps of practice. I was strugglng a bit because we had a 17" front wheel on the front, and GSXR's came with 18's stock. Didn't know anything about much of anything, but I did know that the 1100 turned differently.
My stint came up, and I went out. Old Blackhawk didn't have the little chicane dealio like it does now. That was added in like 90 or 91. So, you'd come out of the carousel toward four full bore at like 120. I got in there, and rolled off and used the brakes. I felt someone push me gently from behilnd. Next thing I know, I'm sitting on the ground sliding on my butt. The bike is sliding next to me. Some other guy passes me on the ground following his bike. We stop, he gets up and get's his bike. I'm incensed about this 'cause I'm realizing that this moron just as$packed me and knocked me down...my first racing crash and it wasn't my fault.
I go get the bike and roll it back to the pits through the wall between four and five. Fifteen minutes later, the bike is back together and I'm racing again. We finish.
Next day, I'm trying to learn how to ride an RZ350. I'm struggling with turn six. I race my GSXR750 fine. My first race on the RZ is immedately after. So, I come in, meet one of our guys that has my RZ, and I'm off. I think I did a lap before I went wide on the exit of six.
On the GSXR1100, I did it a couple of times, and I could just roll on the gas and it would pull out of the gravel and shoot back up on to the track, no problem. The RZ is kind of like a lanky dirt bike with road race tires. I'm in the soft gravel, and I'm expecting to kind of shoot back up on the track. Well, the front wheel turns to the lock and I'm pile driven into the ground. Dirt and dust everywhere.
The ambulance come over to pick me up. I guess they originally identified me as a "black man" because I had a certain tint to my skin because of all the dirt in my helmet. Got out of the aid station, which was at the current registration building, and washed off at the hose. Had to go back and get the five pound sledge out to bend my right handle bar back from a position of 90 degrees; pipe wrench to twist the footpeg back to a usable position. My tach cable was ripped off.
Next race, I go out. I was using ear plugs. My problem was that, one, ear plugs worked. Next, RZ350's with stock pipes that have the full catalytic converters are quiet. With no tach, I couldn't hear the engine or know when I really wanted to shift. Kind of did it by timing.
I'm almost done with the race, and I'm just through the kink. I'm on the brakes and for some reason, the bike fell over. I slide on my hands and knees into the grass at the outside of turn seven.
I never gave up...I ran out of races. "Super" Dave
There's more...how long do we have?
In 1991, I was contracted to the Roscetti Corporation as a rider for their program. The Roscetti Corporation was the importer of Bimota Motorcycles. I was supposed to be teamed with another rider as part of a "B" team in the AMA. The A team was Dale Quarterley and Tommy Douglas, a Yamaha Canada Factory rider who had some top ten finishes in some early WSB events.
Money ran short, we didn't get a Bimota of our own. We raced an FZR750R at Daytona, my first time there. I continued on with an AMA program in 750 Supersport.
I liked Brainerd. Was fun. My bike was ok. Set up needed to be better. Anyway, Russell did something goofy and was gridded at the back. I was a few rows back. We gridded up for the start, and I'm waiting for the green flag. I want a good start. I was going to go to Loudon from Brainerd and work with Dale personally there at a school, the Penguin School that the Wood boys now run.
I saw the green flag, and I launched. Seemed like it was just me and about four other bikes that saw it and reacted. I'm shifing gears and going down the long straight. The track tapers down a bit and you get compressed from the left. I'm moving over through traffic. I feel a little nudge from my right. Then a bigger nudge. I feel my bike lean a bit, then a bit more...
The body has that knack of when things kind of suck, you're not there for it....
I think I got swiped from the right side eventually taking my right clip on out and driving me right into the ground. I was rendered unconcious immediately. By the marks on my first ever set of Vanson Leathers, I was sliding on the ground on my chest. The guy that took me out had my body in front of him. As he approached me, he decided to use the brakes as he began to run me over. Starting at my left kindey, he continued across my back, my neck, and my head inside my helmet. Asphalt was driven into my leathers everywhere on my chest. I had Dunlop tire tracks on my neck and tire rubber on my helmet, face shield, and back of my leathers.
I don't break very easily, so I didn't have any injuries from that.
But the braking force across my neck flexed my thorax a bit. I had a pretty good scab across my adam's apple where my skin was used for traction. My chin was driven into the ground as the front of my helmet was flexed beyond it's ability to maintain its shape....
My chin got a pretty decent rip in it.
So, I guess I must have rolled onto my back at some point. I'm bleeding all over the track. That all pooled under my leathers adding to their character.
Unconcious, things are quiet.
Gradually, the dimmer controls begin to let light into my eyes. To me, it was a very similar feeling to how they filmed a couple of sequences in Saving Private Ryan. Watching that was very, very familiar to me. I'm not sure if that sequence was filmed that was because someone described it that way or if it was just done for the effect. Anyway, lights, a little sound, a sharp pain in my chin that I know I like having my hand on. In time, I feel as though I'm still racing, and my body clock is telling me that I'm in between turns one and two. It's starting to become apparent that I'm not racing any more. EMT people arrive. Backboard, etc. My sponsor arrives. I'm obviously pretty alert, and I'm answering questions. They want to know if I want to be transported. I reply, "Well, I don't know. How do I look from there?" I defer to my sponsor and he suggests that we go for a ride in the ambulance.
More story?
So, I'm there lying on a backboard bouncing around in an ambulance. My chin has a whole bunch of crap on it. I'm just enjoying the ride talking as usual.
You know how it is when you see someone that you think you know, but you just don't know where you know them from?
Well, I start looking at the EMT guy that's in my sight there with my body strapped down. I finally just can't handle in anymore, and I say, "You know, it seems like I know you from someplace." He's kind of curt with me and says, "No." It's beginning to bug me. We finally arrive at the hospital. He's at the head end of the gurney pushing me. I tell him again that it seems like I know him from some place, and I get the evil look from him where he is thinking that I really whacked my head.
We roll another fifteen feet, and we're now rolling down the hospital hallway. I'm staring at the wonderful drop ceiling wondering why they don't put stuff up there to entertain you.
Finally, I remember. "Ok, I've got it. The other day, you were standing in line at K-Mart trying to buy something. You and your ambulance parnter were just trying to check out and buy some stuff. The cashier lady starts going on and on about her sister-in-law studing to be an EMT or something, you're just saying 'ok, yeah', but she just keeps going on and on"...
His eye's light up as the painful memory is relived...
He looks down at me, eyes wide open, a smile on his face, "Yeah!" he exclaims.
I put on my biggest grin and say, "I was standing right behind you."
I was inspected, and X-rayed...got out of my leathers without having them cut off while my head was strapped to the back board. Got eight stitches. I walked out with the support of the railings on the walls while wearing my road racing boots, my bicycling pants, and a blue and white gown. Everyone thought I was dead. My bike would have made a restart.
So SD when are you going to write the book?
He just did! ;)
I crashed once in the bus stop at BHF and ripped the crotch of my leathers.
Oh, I've got more...
How about the time I raced the AMA national at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a Thursday, Friday, Saturday event...
Then drove all night (thought it was about six hundred miles, but it ended up being nine hundred) to get to Grattan. Raced, rained, highsided.
Hitting walls at Gateway?
"And They Walked Away, Part IV"...I'm in that.
Crashing a $70,000 bike?
QuoteHitting walls at Gateway?
I got ya beat Dave. I hit the wall and stayed upright :o :D
Which wall? I tent pegged into the wall outside of one. It wasn't pretty. But everyone seemed to find the time to take lots of pictures of my bike. It was a real chiropractic moment for myself. We were separated before we got there too.
QuoteWhich wall? I tent pegged into the wall outside of one. It wasn't pretty. But everyone seemed to find the time to take lots of pictures of my bike. It was a real chiropractic moment for myself. We were separated before we got there too.
Ouch!
T1 is not the wall I would want to get caught up with, no doubt.
I got sideways at the dip in the chicane (hair too much throttle while my rear shock was rebounding) and my rear tagged the wall. The wall prolly saved me from lowsiding 8)
Broke my ribs and busted up my bike, but in reality, I came away from it w/ no complaints. Could've been way worse :)
Did I say I still won that race?;D (!) ;D Too bad it was amatuer class though ::) :P
QuoteOuch!
T1 is not the wall I would want to get caught up with, no doubt.
I got sideways at the dip in the chicane (hair too much throttle while my rear shock was rebounding) and my rear tagged the wall. The wall prolly saved me from lowsiding 8)
Broke my ribs and busted up my bike, but in reality, I came away from it w/ no complaints. Could've been way worse :)
Did I say I still won that race?;D (!) ;D Too bad it was amatuer class though ::) :P
THAT ladies and gentlemen is how you "square off" a turn!
Will ya show me how to do that sunday?? I figure if I can carry 10mph more into chicane and with more gas sooner I should be able to get into the 10's... ;D
o.K. here are my 2 stories,
1st bike a Honda VTR 250, some dumb@ss pulls a left in front of me and I don't clear his car when I hit. 10 feet of skid marks and a passenger door pushed atleast a foot inside hte car. Don't remember a thing of it. Woke up 9 hrs later in ICU asking where my bike was! Second one was a couple of months after getting settlement from above crash bought a CBR 600 F2, was following a couple of buddies to go riding in the mountains, full race suit, back protector, boots, helmet, gloves I was ready for anything. Well as we go into the first sweeper I am following and thinking how cool it is watching as these guys go blazing through the turn when all of a sudden I am heading of the road, hit the first dips where the boat trailer tires are always going and am launched over the handlebars at 65mph +. Totally destroyed new helmet, tore new leathers up in gravel and got to watch my perfect bike w/ no scratches destroy itself. Walked away w/ no broken bones, but bruised up pretty bad. Ambulance crew that showed up couldn't believe I was walking afterwards. Raced the same bike several months later w/ the southwest region. Still have it sitting in my garage as my track only bike....Oh the memories!
Sunday, 10-09-05, Fondulac OHV park(moto-cross track)Screwed up landing a table top...3 ribs,bruised kidney and good old VICADAN ;D.Matches my left left side from april of this year ;)
No! What's up with that?
QuoteNo! What's up with that?
Dave,
Nothing to me beats...
"Pick a year..." ;D
I've broken my scaphoid and calcaneous (heel) in a street crash and my scapula (shoulder blade) at a track school, but there's no question as to my worst...
9/19/04 Blackhawk Farms
Last round of the season, I've attended all Great Plains region races for the year so even though I'm slow (but improving), I've pretty much got the AM LWSS championship and am close on LWSB. It's my second time at BHF (including the previous GP round there) and I'm feeling good. My new girlfriend (now wife) and her son are there for their first race weekend. I drove up with KC124 (WPC) and actually passed him in the GT Lights race ;D so I felt like I was riding well.
In the LWSS race, I battled back and forth with a ring-ding-ding bike (damn 250s!) for a few laps. He'd pass me here, I'd pass him there. Finally got past him and pulled a little gap on the last lap, then caught a glimpse of the next rider ahead and thought "I'm gonna get that sumbItch this lap too!" Went flying around the righthander over the access road (forget turn #'s up there) but lo and behold there's a much slower rider just about ready to bend into the chicane before the last turn. In the split second I had to react, it looked like he was really going to make it a turn, after I'd learned to kind of shoot straight through it before braking. Thinking I'd put us both in the hospital if I tried making it, I just stood it up and went for the "grassy knoll" ride. Things just got bumpier and bumpier then I got kicked up and off. Really didn't tumble much, but came to rest on my back, kind of spread-eagle. I was in the tall grass and the corner hadn't seen be go off, so no one was coming to the rescue for a while. The wind was knocked out of me, so I just layed there for a second to take inventory. Nothing really hurt, so I finally stood up so I could be seen. Hmm... my back muscles all clenched. I walked to the edge of the track and stood there with my hands on my knees, trying to fill my lungs with oxygen again. My back was very stiff, but I thought if I just relaxed, it would be okay. The cornerworkers got there and asked how I was. Still thinking it was just a muscle problem, we even debated whether to go to the hospital when I was sitting in the ambulance at the track. I'd wiggled my leathers off and sat in the ambulance for probably 10 minutes before we decided it would be best to get checked out. Good thing I did...
Compressed T7 through T10 verterbrae, with 8 and 9 pretty much exploded. Luckily the pieces exploded "out" instead of "in" toward my spinal column. Two 14" titanium rods and 16 screws later, I'm doing fine. 8)
P.S. Support the Wegman Fund!!! ;)
Yeah, Kris...good thing you went.
I'm just lucky that I don't usually get hurt. It happens...getting hurt. I just seem to have strong bones. Not 'cause I drink milk or anything. I had a street bike accident before I started racing and they told me that I had strong bones. Guess you can see, like, scratches or something on x-rays that indicates that.
Did break my hand in 1988 racing a 600 Katana at Grattan backwards. Last lap, wanted to get one more guy, and I highsided going up the hill exiting three. Broke my finger in 1996 at Daytona racing a CB400F during practice. Was lucky that i wasn't carrying the Duke Video set up that we were carrying on the other bike. Almost won the race later that day, but Chuck from Mr Barber's stable got me on the banking riding a $250,000 MV Agusta GP bike. i got revenge in the open class when they threw a rod.
Guess I couldn't get enough of T1 at BFR. Beautiful highside in the rain - brought my rear around so far it felt like I was pointed back up the straight. Hooked up and spat me up and up and up...and then boom chakalaka. The bike was chasin me, and at one point I thought it was going to find me, but it didn't. No injuries - bounced good (I think they red-flagged the race, and I was in front at the time...)
T1 again, ran wide (target fixation) while staring at the dirt edge on the exit to make sure I didn't hit it. Which I did. Jerked the bike back on the track hard, setting up a beautiful example of a tankslapper, which gave me a bird's eye view of my bike below me as I flew and landed flat on my face/chest. Knocked the wind out of me so bad I couldn't breath - lay there gaping like a dang bluegill on the dock. I raised my foot up and down so the corner workers at least knew I was alive - cuz other than that, I couldn't move. Ambo ride, backboard, ibuprofen. I was fine - but a bit sore next day. Another good bounce - about five feet away from the first one (different days).
Very lucky.
No kidding, Tom. You are lucky. Never seen a guy crash so much and so big and not get hurt.
So, are you officially retired?
My worst crash, Dano was correct, on the street about three years ago, (last time I really rode on the steet). We were riding back roads, as you can see from kingpinracing.com footage, and it was getting cool out, and I had been a fool and had a set of dunlop race tires on the street. Came around a corner and the ass end sliped, I saved it but it was too late. I alreadry made it to the point of no return on the shoulder, fell into a three foot ditch- still up mind you- and the ass end came around again smacked a tree and the I preceded to go through the next five of them (TREES!!) with my rib cage. When dano was standing over me calling me Jeremy and not fatkid I knew it was pretty bad
Most recent one hurt pretty bad.
This past spring: Broke Right shoulder blade lenghtwise (top-bottom). And sprained L3 and L4.
Worst one as far as damage to machine was in 96' aboard 900rr. Was proof that the Dragon sometimes wins. only part of bike that survived is hanging on my shop wall, and broke off on impacked without a scratch. it was the left side/center/ front fairing. caused by front tire failure.
I have never used bridgestone since.
Highside Turn 8 at Loudon. Evidently, I drifted wide on the entrance but I don't remember any of it. I remember bits and pieces of the ride to the track hospital and the the ambulance ride to the Concord hospital.
Originally they thought I broke 3 ribs and had a concussion. Then I found out 2 days later I had broken my scapula as well. Found out 4 months later that I had actually broken 6 ribs. 1 in 2 places.
When I woke up, I was only worried about 3 things,
That my wife knew where I was,
The status of the bike,
Not letting the paramedics cut my leathers off. I guess I stood up and took them off myself (don't remember that too well either)
Four red bulls, two packs of gummy bears, then WHAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! its all over. I'm crashin big time. :P :P ;D
high side turn 4 loudon....... free ride to hospital...woke up with 9 broken ribs and collarbone. that one hurt! :P
Anto Connor had a classic crash on a CRF-150 one day in 04. We were riding trails which had SUPER deep ruts. I was on my 450 and he was on the 150. He was going HARD. Like 5th gear WFO.
I come around a corner and through a deep rut and turn around just in time to see Anto hit the rut and the bike instantly wedged into it throwing him off like a catapult. It was a piece of beauty. I laughed so hard I fell over. His bike was wedged upright, still running with the rear wheel turning.
No injuries. A bit of dirt-burn, but nothing big. I don't know how he didn't leave his bells on the handlebars, but he managed to keep them in tact.
QuoteNo kidding, Tom. You are lucky. Never seen a guy crash so much and so big and not get hurt.
So, are you officially retired?
Yes, I am lucky - bouncing well is definitely a good thing if you're gonna be crashing much. (touch wood). Funny thing was, I did those and more (mostly lowsides) my first year as an AM - and then the next year as an EX did about half the races all season long, and made it to the last turn of the last lap of the last race of the season at BFR without a single crash. And lowsided! ??? ::)
Retired? No way. "I'll be back."
I built a third-wheel rig (pseudo side car) for my little Honda in high school so I could ride all winter. I used an old Honda 50 rear swingarm with the wheel, made a frame out of fence posts, and attached it with hose clamps.
With no counter weight, I rode around the driveway nearly hitting the house, car, and the swing set.
At that point, I decided to test my newly found skill at highway speeds. The last thing I remembered before seeing stars were little twigs brushing my helmet shield before a mind-numbing THWACK...my face hitting a tree. I have no idea how long I was unconcious, but I managed to collect all the pieces, get the bike started, and limp it home. I looked in the mirror to discover the right side of my face was replaced with tree sap and bark.
This happened a few years after I tried tobogganing off our barn roof....but that's another story.
COOL!! WAR STORIES :o
Firebird Main, Chandler, Arizona, September, 2003. T-6B, ULGP, 02' GSXR 750, speed 70-80.
Had a friend pass on the inside, on the exit, his back end stepped out taking out my front wheel.
He missed T-7 and T-8 almost taking out the grandstands.
I of course missed T-7 since I was now a Tomahawk missle seeing only the clear Arizona sky. I remember the last thing I was thinking as I saw Kane's rear wheel whisping small puffs of smoke; "SH*T, this is gonna hurt!". The next thing I remember was laying there, waiting for a wheel or cornerworker to get to me as I tried in to spit hay (yeah, like the kind horses eat) out of my mouth.
The cost of that one? 3 fractured vertibrea, C-2, C-3, C-4, some roadrash on my back, one set of leathers and a cool modified Shoei for my collection. Had to sit out the rest of season.
The best part to this one; my daughter's friend Tristan was behind me and wittnessed the maylay! Coming over to me in the pits later and telling me how awsome it was. PRICELESS ;D
Ya'all's crashes are way more spectacular than mine, but I did whack my head pretty good a coupla times (might 'splain a lot, LOL!)
First was the summer of '02, at Blackhawk, in the GTO during the Wegman weekend. I was havin' the time of my life when my brane fart farted: Bearing down on Turn 1, clickin' thru the gears when I thought I'd hit a false neutral... CLICK into first gear at 80 mph... the big twin SCREAMED it's displeasure and before my brane could begin to wrap around the concept, I discovered the "new-to-me" sensation of my feet coming up around over my head. THUNK! landing squarely on my right shoulder and head. Cornerworkers said I was out for a little bit but I don't remember... all I knew was my shoulder HURT and I was mad as hell 'cuz I'd screwed up what had been my best performance EVER. Came out of the med shed and proceeded to self-medicate with some Advil and beer, and enjoy the auction.
The next morning, I had roughly 25% movement in my arm, so I figured some X-rays might be in order. Asked if John wanted to drive me but he declined, so I gingerly eased myself into the car and away I went. Now, Highland Park Hospital is located in one of the 'toniest' of the North Shore suburbs, and they're pretty cool. Walked up to the gal behind the counter and said I'd hurt my shoulder and would like some X-rays. "What happened?" she asked - I just told her I'd hit my shoulder pretty hard. She gave me a clipboard and I filled out the requisite paperwork. Mind you, this was my first experience with "racing-related" injury, and I wasn't too sure if our provider would take kindly to knowing ALL the details.
Shortly thereafter, the nurse brought me into the exam area, and helped me slip into one of their stylish cotton gowns. "So, how did you hurt yourself?"
"I fell on my shoulder".
"But HOW did you fall?"
"I fell - I landed on it... Look, I fell on it, and just want to get it X-rayed, please."
Nurse finishes taking my vitals, gives me a funny look and leaves the room. About five minutes later, another woman comes in, sits down, pats me on the hand and says, "Honey, it's okay. You're safe here, now. You can tell me what happened."
At this point, I figure out what's going on (and realized WHY John let me go to the ER by myself) and start laughing hysterically. Then, the doctors came in and, still LMFAO, I explained to them EXACTLY what happened ("I let the clutch out, and proceeded to turn my body into a downward missle").
At THAT point, they wanted to administer a CAT scan to my brane! :D :D
Second time was during a Friday practice in May of '04... spun up my wore-out H2 exiting T7 at Blackhawk and BANG - landed squarely on my head somewhere north of 90 mph. Happened so fast I didn't even have time for the "OH" in "OH SHIT". Boy, did I see STARS after THAT one! Of course, John had the bike back together and ready to go before the lunch break ended...
Quote After fighting with the typical fat-head-syndrome-plagued NESBA control rider, . (??!!) -helmet.
Give me a break. Yeah NESBA sucks. ::)
Worst one I had was 10-9-99 down in Missouri riding a rally with the Honda Sport Touring Assoc. I remember getting stuck behind a semi on some really good roads, finally got a chance to get around him and took off to catch one of my buddies that had gotten around the semi earlier. After that I remember waking up in a ditch and the guy who was riding behind me is kneeling down asking me how I feel..... I didn't feel any pain at the time, but I had a broken wrist, ankle, and a messed up shoulder that I couldn't hardly move for about a week or so. The guy that found me said it looked like an airplane crash, my Superhawk was totaled.
Worst one racing was at Gateway in Sept or Oct 2000. I had just started racing and learned how tires let loose once they have a days racing on them. I was coming onto the straight and spun the rear wheel up, I remember rolling off the throttle and thinking this thing has to hook up sometime, I felt like I did a 180. I got high sided, landed on my head, jumped up, ran towards the bike and realized I was seeing two. I was cross eyed for what seemed like forever. The corner worker asked me if I was OK, I told him yes, Other than seeing double I feel fine. I guess he thought I was joking since he never called the EMT's over.
Chris
I'm thinking it might be the time I went under a parked Trans-Am after the mother of all tankslappers.
Or maybe when my RC51 highsided me, then ran me over at Summit Point.
Of course there was the time I snapped my neck, but the damage on the bike suggests the crash itself wasn't to bad. I wish I could remember it.
Highside...T2 Shannonville Pro Circuit. Hurt a bunch.
(https://www.ccsforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg79.imageshack.us%2Fimg79%2F3856%2Fleg5pv.jpg&hash=55630ccda0ec1521ad48c6751d32d97c9ab178a1)
(https://www.ccsforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg86.imageshack.us%2Fimg86%2F9394%2Flegg7hx.jpg&hash=ec171cb51fff1c501320467fb95544ffb8e67cba)
(https://www.ccsforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg86.imageshack.us%2Fimg86%2F3168%2Fleggg9xm.jpg&hash=fb88ce1fabeb3ebd3ae077dc2f9da8686344cb92)
Ouch :o fiddleguy!
Mine was in August '03.
Since I don't remember anything of that day or the next few weeks ask Pierre - Team PMR. It was not his fault but we got into a first timer who was all over the track! >:( He did everything except anything resembling an actual race line. Bottom line is I was in a coma for about seven days and then a few months of confusion.
The good news? Nothing terrible happened to my bike! ;) (https://www.ccsforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.randbmotorsports.com%2Fimages%2Frandbmotorsports%2Ffirca%2520racing_thumb.jpg&hash=5c3e696e0c145404cc44e51d80fa4809dc93558f)
Last lap of the race, in contention for wood. As I turned in, the sun was blotted out as if by a sudden eclipse. I heard a cornerworker cry, "Fish in the water!"
The torpedo took me amidships. I was down in an instant....
Potato potato potato! YMCA, IT'S FUN TO STAY AT THE YMCA!
Man, I'll be getting mileage out of that day for the rest of my life! ;) ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Oh, forget the cute little hat, The flowery helmet says it all! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Gawd help me, but this just never gets old....
Looks like K3 was enjoying some beer while posting over the weekend! :D
ok, mine is NO WHERE that bad,
Summit Point raceway. Started racing by myself and didn't know about tire warmers or heat cycles. I high sided in turn 10 and did a lot of end over end. I don't remember anything after the crash, but I put the bike back together, finish second pratice and when out for my first race of the weekend. I did two laps and high sided over turn 6. My bike landed on top of me and I broke three ribs and had a SEVERE concusion. I did not talk right for 6 months! I also would loose time, which freaked me out.
1998 - Roebling Roads Raceway - T9 - Lowsided during a practice day. A friend on the track behind me described it as spectacular. He saw a large cloud of dust as he was coming to T9....then saw my poor old FZR400 rise up out of it (About 8-12 feet into the air). I ended up something like 100yards from the track. It was a lowside. I bounced forever and ever and ever.
1999 - Summit point - T1 - Rain race. Amateur in the race wrecks on the binders into T1 on previous lap. (Behind me) I come down the straight and cornerwork is motioning something...I realize that there is mud covering a good half of the track all through the brake zone. I roll off the throttle slightly. Brian Kraget somes up beside me...I look over. Next thing I'm sliding donw the track beside him. I was on the tarmac before the brake zone...and slide off the end off the track.
Worst wreck. Roeblin Roads Raceway. 2000 or 2001...can't remember which now. Was running Expert Middleweight GP. Last race on Saturday. It's raining...which is fine by me. Roebling is tricky in the rain...very slippery. Around lap 3 or 4 I'm in third place. Coming into turn 7 I see a bike trying to stuff itself up underneath me into the turn. No big deal...I move over enough to let him through. Turns out to be a dimwitted amateur with visions of glory. He can't make the turn...lift his bike and takes my bars right out of my hand. I'm pissed...but ok. Unfortunately the two guys he was trying to outrun were right behind him and target fixated on me. One ran me over with his GSXR600. Or rather he ran into me and he and bike did a 180 end for end swap. I ended up with a new footpeg sized orifice in my abdomen.
Flashy light bus trip to hospital. No major internal damage. Stitch me up, leave drainage tube in me. Said I'd "get some blood because of the impact." Some blood? I woke up in the mroning in a dinner plate sized pool of it. Soaked through 4 inches of bandages, my shirt, shorts, and all over the bed.
I rode the next day. Needed bare minimum points for championship chase in multiple classes.
QuoteI rode the next day. Needed bare minimum points for championship chase in multiple classes.
Rock on! WOOOO HOOOOO!!!!!! My kinda guy!
When I got out of my leathers and was walking to see a buddy in the next race....I heard soem lady screaming. "Oh my god he's bleeding!" Hmm...could that be moi? Yup. Soaked through another 4 inches of bandages and my white shirt. DOH!
Luckily I was traveling with a professional fireman. Not squeamish, slap some new bandages on, antibiotic ointment, and off we go.
Worst part of the weekend was the damned ride home. I stiffened up horribly. Couldn't bend down to even touch my knees. Couldn't lift my left leg.
At least I got pictures of the wreck though. :-)