Truck in the race line Turn 12

[cbr806]

MWSS Race Sunday

It is inconceivable to me  ??? that we ran a whole race with a truck on the race track  :o, on the corner exit  :o, in the race line  :o, that could not be seen until you enter the corner :o, in the exact spot you'd crash if you had any problem  :o.  Don't even say it was it was to protect the rider that was down over against the wall.  The truck could have done that 20 yards off the track.  It is insane to endanger 40 other riders like that.  That was a red flag situation.  If anyone would have lost it in t12 it would have very likely resulted in death.

I know it was an RA truck, but I think the corner worker should have instantly ordered that truck moved or thrown the red flag.  I think the only reason the red flag didn't fly was because we had already had one in hte race.

[tstruyk]

yeah I heard about that... I'd be interested to hear why that went down...

On a personal note, we had a corner worker direct us to a position on the track that couldnt get a crash truck pick up until a red flag or the end of the race in the TC (mechanical issue, easy fix).  99 of 100 times Cw's are on the money!  Just a little misdirection put us out of the race  :-/  Any situation BUT the TC and it would have been a non issue, kinda frutrating to sit and watch a 2 hour race (this happend lap one in turn 8) from the bend and hot pit wall... plus... no lap completed = no points

I think ole Rob summed it up best... "thats racing".  I'm not one to bitch and moan too much when shit dont got my way... just planting a seed so maybe next time the CW will have a spot planned out during a longer duration race that might allow the team to get back on the track.

Like I said, any situation other than the TC and its a non issue and we where directed to safe place.  As always, big thanks to the CW's!  We literally couldnt do this without ya!

Timmay

btw, Nice to meet ya Charlie!

[Suzy]

I understand your frustration, but I was not directed by control to move the truck. Was only told to keep waving my flag, that's it. If control thought the truck should have been moved, they would have informed me, or the truck themselves or told my other cornerworker in the catcher mit to have them move it. I was not watching everything behind me, I was waving the flags at the bikes coming at me.

[tstruyk]

I understand your frustration, but I was not directed by control to move the truck. Was only told to keep waving my flag, that's it. If control thought the truck should have been moved, they would have informed me, or the truck themselves or told my other cornerworker in the catcher mit to have them move it. I was not watching everything behind me, I was waving the flags at the bikes coming at me.

I dont think anyone is blaming... just asking why.   You have a job to do, and you do what your told!  How upset would people be if you randomly decided to make decisions without control?

hey Suzy... out of curiosity where you the only person at 12?  Was it maybe a concern that if you left your station to get the truck moved (or turned your attention to the truck vs the track) that it could have been more dangerous for  the oncoming racers?  Sounds like it was a tough situation that maybe needed another set of eyes or hands to get resolved.  you did your job just as directed, I dont think anyone is going to attack you for that!

[cbr806]

No - I'm not blaming anyone & I COMPLETELY appreciate what the corner workers do - like you said - we literally could not race without them.  And if SuzyQ was not there waving the flag, I would not have backed it off just that hair where it was not a problem when I saw the truck.  

That was just the most dangerous thing I've seen in 4+ years of racing so far.  I don't know how the corner working chain of command works either, but how does 'Control' know there's a truck sitting ON the race track IN the race line?

What if the original rider had gone down due to a little oil in that corner?  How would the truck have played in then  :'(?  Man I just cringe thinking about it.

I change my mind - I do blame whoever parked the truck there.  I can't imagine what he/she was thinking.

no lap completed = no points  

Well that explains why I could never find you in the race.  I kept thinking I must have misunderstood when you said you were running the R6 in the TC.  I didn't make it at all.  Good to meet you too.

[a13x]

This truck?
http://www.superbikepics.com/showimage.php?loc=31&g=27&file=OTHER_WI0422_506.jpg

 ???

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

At Road America, those trucks are owned by and controlled by the track.  The Safety Chief has turret mounted cameras at every turn.  It was not a CCS call to put that truck there.  Your bitch would be with Carson, the Safety Chief of Road America.

[5wavingyellow]

I generally don't feel the need to post on forums but I feel I must express my thoughts on this one. Be careful who you chose to criticize concerning the RA safety crew. Carson and his crew are regarded among the FINEST in the country. I have witnessed  their service as a CCS cornerworker myself for the past 15 years at RA. A waving yellow flag was presented at 12 warning riders of danger ahead. How you as a rider choose to deal with that is your choice. The RA safety crew and cornerworkers are often putting themselves in hazardous situations to insure the safety of downed riders and should not be subject to your opinions concerning a crash that you can't asess from a riders view.

[Suzy]

BTW, I did talk to Bill regarding this, because for my own knowledge, if it was my call I wanted to know and learn, but he said the reason the truck was there was to keep another rider from going down in the same place while they were trying to get him up.  And I'm glad to hear he is OK, phew. ;D

[motobenco]

If a bike was down in the same place as the truck was parked it would have been a red flag situation.  Although I do give credit to the riders around me who adjusted their line and moved on with the race.

[extrakt0r]

If a bike was down in the same place as the truck was parked it would have been a red flag situation.  Although I do give credit to the riders around me who adjusted their line and moved on with the race.

I agree...

There is over 4+ more miles to do your racing...Go easy in that corner and play in the others...I don't see what the issue is...

[cbr806]

The RA safety crew and cornerworkers are often putting themselves in hazardous situations to insure the safety of downed riders and should not be subject to your opinions concerning a crash that you can't asess from a riders view.

Nobody is subject to my opinion, but I am entitled to give it.  That's what this type of forum is all about.  No one's life's more valuable than the next person's.  The truck on the track endangered many more lives than it protected.  I've never worked as a safety worker and am not trained in anything related.  I don't need to be to know that truck 10 or 15 yards off the track would have made EVERYONE safer.  I didn't race in that corner & I could have just pulled off the track.  That's not the point.  Putting the truck there was a poor decision.  It's really not even debatable.  If a bike was on the track in the race line as the truck was, there would have been a red flag - period.  Everyone knows that.  So it's OK because it was a truck?  Come on. 

Again – I appreciate everything the safety workers and safety crews do – very much so.