Big Thanks to EX#331 at VIR on 6/21!

[Hollywood]

It was looking to get better for me for the weekend. It was Sunday, and I just had a blast doing the ASRA GTL race with a good friend. I was ready to hit the track, get to racing and gain some more valuable setup info for a later date.

Expert Middleweight Supersport had been moved from the morning to the first race in the afternoon following the ASRA stuff. Grid was pkay, start was decent, pack was pretty tight and the top 4 started to pull awayafter two laps. I had Travis (friend of mine) ahead of me and I was pulling him in. I got a good drive out of 7 and up the hill into the short esses there, tip it into T10 (21 to the car guys?) carrying some pretty decent speed and then........

I got hit. On the inside. My knee was inches from the inside curbing of the turn. I was in third screwing the throttle on, probably about 75%. I like that section of the track. A lot. I go fast there. The next thing I know I saw a red blur move past me on the inside as I fall to the ground and follow my bike to the other side of the track and the grass. My bike catches something with the frameslider and flips into the air. I remember tumbling and getting onto my back. I remember hearing the bike impact the ground next to me. I am now sliding, not rolling anymore. I see a shadow. I can't make out what it is. I'm starting to slow down and roll/slide to the left side of my body, my face in my helmet facing the ground. As I stop, my 2007 GSXR 600 full of U4.2 lands on me, both of us coming to a stop. My motor is still running. My head is facing away from the swingarm of the bike, and my back has a footpeg and the side of the motor in it. Since I am filled with adrenaline at this point, I do a push up, getting myself to all fours and flipping/rolling the bike off of me. I then collapsed to the ground, rolled a few turns away from the bike and did a self check. I stumbled to my feet, and loped to the nearest ARMCO, getting over it and out of the impact zone in that corner.

I screamed at the top of my lungs in frustration for the rest of the race.

I then returned to my pit, informed my crew chief of what had happened, and he had little to say. My wife begged me to calm down before looking for the rider that put me into the dirt. Since he hadn't of crashed after using me as a bumper, this was going to be hard. I hopped on my pit bike and cruised the paddock. While riding down the road in front of the garages while looking for a red bike with a rider still in leathers next to it, I was approached by a thin, smaller than me black man with a beard who asked me if I was 208 and if I had just crashed in the last race. He happened to be standing next to a red R6, with the number #331. I assumed it was his, but never got a chance to look at his bike for damage. I asked him what he was doing and asked him why he had run into me. His response left me speechless. His words:

"I was behind you for a little bit, but you had a really good drive up the hill. I tried to catch up to you in the esses and didn't brake hard enough to set up that corner. I tried to pass you on the inside but I was going too fast. I had to slow down so I hit you. You're alright, though, right?"

I was so shocked by his reasoning, I informed him I hoped I was, and that he had collectively ended my race weekend. I also informed him that I had a now pretty much destroyed bike on my hands and what did think about that. I offered to send him a bill for the repair should he like to come look at the damage. His words again:

" Nah, dog, that's racing."

I said not another word to the man and rode away in utter disgust.

So Antoine Richards of Devonshire, Bermuda, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for allowing me to go back through my formerly well-sorted, clean and well-maintained machine. I didn't really like or need the ENTIRE set of custom painted bodywork from AndrewSwensonDesign, the windshield from LockhartPhillips, the left side Vortex clip-on tube, the Vortex left side frame slider, the Suzuki fairing stay, the Suzuki gauges, the brake master resevoir or line, the painted tank cover, the Vortex left side rearset and the right side rear set block, the ENTIRE painted new Sharkskinz tailsection, or the ENTIRE subframe assembly. I will have to hold on to the EMPro, because that, the LeoVince full Ti system and the gas tank made it through. Luckily, so did the frame and the left front fork. Not the right one though, but I'm sure they are everywhere. Same for the lower radiator hose, radiator and the engine cover on that left side. They were all about 4 months old, probably time to change them all out as well. As for the leathers, I had gotten off the bike in them before in T12 on Saturday. Ripped two patches off the left arm and skinned my bum a little bit. But thanks to you, I managed to DESTROY them as I was sent off into the grass (at what, 80mph?), thank God that Alexa from SpyderLeatherworks did such a good job ensuring htey would be safe if I did fall so that I could get this Thank You letter out to you! Oh, I alsmost forgot, those Alpinstars SMX boots and the GP Pro gloves I got from Motonekoparts, they did their jobs as well, but I guess you didn't think they looked good. It's okay, Antoine, I'll have to get new ones now, because they are unwearable and would not pass tech any longer. You won't even recognize me out there next time buddy, because of you I'll have all new gear on! Hell, Andrew might even paint the bike a different color too! Thanks again!

I've been hit before, hard enough to make me go off the track. Only  time did the offender not come over and apologize, and that is because he took an ambulance ride. 2 other times, the other riders have been over pronto to apologize. #818 Greg Bordeleau did it on Sat. He's a good dude and just had no place to go. I saw the photos. He almost followed me off track. He came over as quickly as possible after the race to ask if I was okay, apologize and what could he do to make it up to me. But not you Antoine. You are a class act. The only reason I didn't react the way I wanted to was because I was afraid of losing my bearing and ending up in a place that I've been before and I don't want to go back to. I also owe it to my sponsors and my friends and family to walk away. I value my reputation. it means something to me. Honor is something that means something to my friends. Class is something that comes with it, and you sir have none in my book. I am ashamed for you for the companies that you list as supporters and sponsors. I hope that other racers will take a closer look at you and your riding abilities and be more cautious of you when you are riding witht them and sharing the track with them. I hope they get to hear your side of the story. I actually look forward to hearing it from you myself one day. Maybe it will come with an apology, maybe it won't. Maybe you'll offer to help me put my bike back together, but you probably won't. And maybe, just maybe you'll figure out that when you put someone elses' life in your hands for a split second because of a bad decision you made that you own that responsibility and it's results. But then again, I wasn't impressed with you in the 45 seconds we spoke.

To me, that's not racing. And if it is, I'm doing it wrong.

Thanks again, Antoine. Since I might not be able to get the bike back together in time for the next round, I might miss you. After the bike is put back together though, I will make it a point to stop by and say hi on my newly rebuilt bike, let me know what you think about it!

[Headdog122]

Hollywood,

If I can be of any help, let me know what you need..!!  (910) 340-5134  Sorry for the crappy weekend bro!!

BTW..  Only you could drop all your sponsors and equipment names while rippin a dude a "new one"!!  I liked it!!

[SVbadguy]

Not cool on his part.   

Zsolt took me out at CMP, I wasn't really sure who it was at the time.  I was done for the day then anyways and was out there shortly after.  Yet months later at Summit he came up and apologized for it.  That was really awesome of him and I appreciated it.

[Xian_13]

Hum...

This is why I won't let my wife race in a MW class.
Funny thing... this is also why I don't race MW anymore.
With the exception of that race, which I canceled, as I only wanted seat time before TC.

I feel your pain Hollywood.
I respect that fact that your didn't take retribution in a different form.

XIII

[apriliaman]

thats not good at all.If it was my bike there would be no way for me to rebuild it.I would have to get another one and use the busted one for parts.this weekend i may have rode too safely.for some reason i could not make a pass like i know i can and brake later.

[Eye-p]

That is really...unfortunate. Those guys were pitted right next to us and were less than concerned about crashing and damaging stuff- sorry to hear you got caught in the middle of it bro.

[erock768]

The gentleman's actions and their affect on you are incredibly unfortunate. I also agree that he is a less than stellar character and an unsafe racer. I understand your position and can sympatize with you current situation (possible injury, trashed bike, et al) however, with all due respect, he doesn't owe you anything. We all sign the liability waiver at registration. As regretable as the results of his actions are, I hope that he can somehow make a mends in the form of an apology. I also feel that it was rather base of you to call him out as you did in this public forum.

[Hollywood]

The gentleman's actions and their affect on you are incredibly unfortunate. I also agree that he is a less than stellar character and an unsafe racer. I understand your position and can sympatize with you current situation (possible injury, trashed bike, et al) however, with all due respect, he doesn't owe you anything. We all sign the liability waiver at registration. As regretable as the results of his actions are, I hope that he can somehow make a mends in the form of an apology. I also feel that it was rather base of you to call him out as you did in this public forum.

I appreciate your opinion and I understand your position. All of my equipment is listed to me as disposable, and I enter every race knowing that. I have read the waiver we sign as well. I never expected any of it to be repaired, but it would have been nice considering his conviction by his own admittance to the situation. His lack of character is something I chose to display on this public forum for all others who may have the unfortunate experience of racing with this individual in the future. I figured it would have been better then the alternative path that I did not choose. I do not know of him or anyone in his camp, and did not want to waste my time and effort attempting to reach him to quite possibly experience the same response from him. I appreciate your point of view, but I would ask of you if this type of situation has ever been something you have endured. If it hasn't, I would consider your opinion of my attempt at public exposure a moot point.

[naya the dingo]

Dang dude, that really sucks!  The 331 guy seemed like an alright kid from the little I talked to him, I wouldn't have expected that type of response from him.  Did the guy you talked to look like he was in his early 20's?

[stickboy274]

That bites. If theres anything I can help with let me know. I'll work some deals if I can to get you rolling again, and I'll talk to him about it.  I know him. He's always been good to me, so I think there is hope to turn him around.

[Hollywood]

That bites. If theres anything I can help with let me know. I'll work some deals if I can to get you rolling again, and I'll talk to him about it.  I know him. He's always been good to me, so I think there is hope to turn him around.

Thanks Stick. You are good peoples.

[GhostRydr]

Hey Hollywood....sucks that there was not even an ounce of concern on the indiviuals part to at least come over and see if you were okay. That in itself would be fine for most people. "Hey man, I'm sorry. I came in a little hot and couldn't get the bike to slow down enough to safely go around you. Hope you are okay. Is there anything that I can do to make it up to you?"

Yes, we all sign the waiver, but it doesn't mean that we can just go in and ride how ever we want.

Hopefully he will man up to you later (publicly or privately).

Fix that bike back up and get back on the track. Glad you are okay.