Summit Shenandoah Track Record Broken... By an AMATEUR!

[Rick Beggs]

RE: One girl got hurt after over breaking coming down the front straight.  What we believe happened is she over braked heading towards Spongbob, what we called the chicane just before start-finish.  She saw she wasn't going to make the turn and the rules for the day stated that if you blow the chicane you must come to a complete stop otherwise take a 1 lap penalty.

First of all, I'm not a 'girl,' I'm a woman.  And I just love how people, who have no idea what happened, open their mouths and pretend to know what the facts were.  I was coming in hard to the chicane on the heels of Broussard.  Coming down the hill, my back tire must have been pretty light, putting the load on my front.  So coming down the hill like so many other times that day, but not at that speed, I may have braked prematurely-- I'm not an idiot.  It's not like I was like, "Oh, no!  I'm not going to make the Chicane!" and grabbed a hand load of brake.  I felt like it was like any other time, but when I braked, the light back end came up into a VERY unexpected endo and basically catapulted me in the air.  I could have been motocrossing.  All I knew is that I was flying with the bike and unless I wanted to somersault with it, I better let go of the bars.  I flew like superman with the last thought being that this was going to hurt badly and the bike is probably going to land on me. 

I landed, the bike landed, smacking me on the left-- I thought I broke my shoulder.  After a few seconds, I was able to gain control of my pain and take off my helmet and leathers as the ambulance showed up.  I tried to walk it off.  The only other thing I knew is that my knee hurt bad.  After refusing to have my leathers cut, I took them off myself only to find that I had a rather large puncture wound that went down to my patella.  It was called an open fracture even though nothing was broken. 

A lot of meat was missing and I don't know how they were going to put the hole back together.  I went under anesthisia around 11pm Saturday night.  They flushed the wound and then bent my knee and proceeded to stretch and stitch the remnants back together.  God knows how many internal, and 16 external stitches later, the wound was closed.  I was given 3 bags of intravenous antibiotics before I got to leave the hospital on Sunday at 3pm after a lot of bitching. 

I am sore as $hit and I don't sleep well even with pain pills, but I will overcome.  I probably won't make CCS in 2 weeks, but I am aiming for VIR and then Daytona. 

Thanks for the well wishes. 

-RAcheL

[YellowDesmo998]

Rachel,

I wasn't trying to be disrespectful or condescending in any way.  As I stated, "What we believe happened".  I didn't say "this is what happened".  I wasn't sure but I know over breaking was involved.  I did it a few times coming down the straight as well.  My back tire was definitely off the ground heading for Sponge Bob.

In any event, I'm glad you're OK and am encouraged by your presence at the track.  It is a pleasure to watch you woop up on some of us testosterone junkies! I hope you have a speedy recovery.

-Edmond

[TonyKart]

I am surprised you run that particular chicane.  When you are mid way through that chicane if my memory serves me right, you are pointed at the wall!

I am glad to hear that you are relatively ok Rachel.

Air fence ?? I hope

[xlr8tn]

Rachel...sorry to hear about your crash.  I know you were right on my heals...I could hear you.  About midway, you got me in the back carousel but went in too hot and I immediately got the position back.  I think you were able to get between Ed and I when you joined back on the circuit following a stop and go.  Not sure for what.  When I went through the chicane, and started to get back on the gas, the red flag was immediately thrown...before I exited the turn.  As I got onto the front straight and looked back, I was like "Where's Rachel...Don't tell me it was her...Damn!".  I actually saw nothing looking back...no dust...nothing.  I actually thought you went into the air fence. 

There is a bad bump on the straight before spongebob, perhaps that unsettled the bike a bit.  I had the exact same problem sunday morning folowing the movement of spongebob forward.  I totally could not get my braking done and had to stop and put my foot down.  If I would have tried to make it, it wouldn't have been pretty.  In fact, I was more worried about riders behind me taking me out as I re-entered.

Glad you are back home and healing.  Hang in there and we hope to see you at VIR for the season closer.

-brent

[phillip]

First of all, I'm not a 'girl,' I'm a woman.

GET WELL SOON!!

[MELK-MAN]

one tough woman, id'a been whining all the way to the doctors..!

[EmerWil]

RE: One girl got hurt after over breaking coming down the front straight.  What we believe happened is she over braked heading towards Spongbob, what we called the chicane just before start-finish.  She saw she wasn't going to make the turn and the rules for the day stated that if you blow the chicane you must come to a complete stop otherwise take a 1 lap penalty.

First of all, I'm not a 'girl,' I'm a woman.  And I just love how people, who have no idea what happened, open their mouths and pretend to know what the facts were.  I was coming in hard to the chicane on the heels of Broussard.  Coming down the hill, my back tire must have been pretty light, putting the load on my front.  So coming down the hill like so many other times that day, but not at that speed, I may have braked prematurely-- I'm not an idiot.  It's not like I was like, "Oh, no!  I'm not going to make the Chicane!" and grabbed a hand load of brake.  I felt like it was like any other time, but when I braked, the light back end came up into a VERY unexpected endo and basically catapulted me in the air.  I could have been motocrossing.  All I knew is that I was flying with the bike and unless I wanted to somersault with it, I better let go of the bars.  I flew like superman with the last thought being that this was going to hurt badly and the bike is probably going to land on me. 

I landed, the bike landed, smacking me on the left-- I thought I broke my shoulder.  After a few seconds, I was able to gain control of my pain and take off my helmet and leathers as the ambulance showed up.  I tried to walk it off.  The only other thing I knew is that my knee hurt bad.  After refusing to have my leathers cut, I took them off myself only to find that I had a rather large puncture wound that went down to my patella.  It was called an open fracture even though nothing was broken. 

A lot of meat was missing and I don't know how they were going to put the hole back together.  I went under anesthisia around 11pm Saturday night.  They flushed the wound and then bent my knee and proceeded to stretch and stitch the remnants back together.  God knows how many internal, and 16 external stitches later, the wound was closed.  I was given 3 bags of intravenous antibiotics before I got to leave the hospital on Sunday at 3pm after a lot of bitching. 

I am sore as $hit and I don't sleep well even with pain pills, but I will overcome.  I probably won't make CCS in 2 weeks, but I am aiming for VIR and then Daytona. 

Thanks for the well wishes. 

-RAcheL

rachel,

I hope it wasn't the peanuts... grin..

hugs...

[wvracer97]

WOW!  So sensitive... just like the rest of the Fast Lane crew    

Hope you get better sooner than later

[thesasse1]

GOD I HURT!!  LOL, guys.  Thanks for the rubbin' and the well wishes.  I just keep thinking, if it all happened, and I didn't get a hole in my leg, I'd feel a lot BETTER!!  Yeah, I'm sore-- I can't believe I didn't break my shoulder (though it feels like it), but this leg/knee is going to be a bitch.  I can already see the indentations where the meat is gone.     Oh well, that's racin'!

I'll be back out there soon.  I just hope this incident doesn't do a number on my noggin, ya know?

Lata,
RAcheL

[rwracer]

Wow!  Now thassa thread jack!   lol!