BHF to a 1 day race sechdule for the rest of the year.

[spyderchick]

LOL I never raced... I corner worked for Mid west Safety crew for 8 years and trackdays for 6 years... I noticed a decline in the safety of the safety crew as well as lack of workers and training. After being nelt on the track at the apex of T7 at BFR  during a race with a down rider while being refused the red flag by control I quit... Had enough....I had 3 bikes down 2 riders down... one bike and one rider on track.  Rider down on the track was EX # 892...I am not going to be a part of somebody being killed because of a money race... This is when I was asked by numerous racers to start a new FREE safety crew organization and was told if I do so I will be banned from the track and CCS

I was going to call BS, but instead I'm just going to wait to see if there's another perspective on this.

For the record, I also have worked corners (CCS, AMA and CSS), and if I recall, if a corner worker sees an incident that requires a red flag, (and what you describe sounds serious enough), once you call it out as the official in that corner that it's going to happen. I've never heard of a red being refused at a club event. Protocol is different for AMA events, but not by much.

As far as starting a 'free' corning working organization, that's doesn't make sense from a number of perspectives. Even non-profits and volunteer organization have costs that need to be covered. Considering the number of people I talk to in a week, much less a year, it's surprising that I've not heard of anything like this going on in the Midwest. (And I hear a lot of scuttlebutt)

I respect the fact that you've worked for MSC, and it's a thankless job sometimes. IMO, your current ranting sounds a lot like sour grapes. I'm sure there's another side to this story. Perhaps someone will come forward and enlighten us. Until then, I'll reserve judgment on what you've written here.

[gkotlin]

Motovid.com (I assume Mike)  Has hit it on the head.  The sport at this level is competitor driven.  Mike is a stellar marketer.  I'm sure he has as many ideas on how to fix this as I would.

He's been looking at and working with this market for a long time.  He's not just making this stuff up.  He's looked at this from every angle because he has to.  It's in his best interest to do so.

The point is someone at CCS needs to make this their focus.  There needs to be the money to help them execute the plan.  Then the industry, fans and competitors will show if it's viable in their support or lack there of.

You don't go to the rowing club to look for new Nascar Drivers.  You go to other disciplines of motorsports or to the club level / farm teams to pull people up.  We are the farm team or club level.  If you want people to race, you need to draw them in.  You need to market.  You need to show people why they are completely missing out on the coolest thing ever in the history of the world by not coming out and trying racing.

So $10,000.00 question is.  Why do people do track days instead of racing?  It's clear that your #1 pool of immediate new riders is track days, so don't tell them they're ruining your sport.  Support and partner with them.  If you can't beat em, join em.  Those that say track days ruined racing, must assume that people were forced into racing if they wanted to get on to the track?  Now there are alternatives.  The alternative I believe has brought many new riders to the track.  As in any business, times, the economy and perceptions change.  CCS' job is to grow and adapt to meet those new challenges and changes.

We know the problem.  We know what end result we want.  The question is how do you get there and still pay the bills.........

[Doctor]

Alexa, and all, just to address one comment, the leathers that you have repaired for me were damaged in the crash where I was trapped under my bike, on track at the exit of turn 7, July 26, 2009, Am LWSS, Lap 3. The race should have been red flagged. There were 3 bikes off track, 2 of them down, and 2 of us transported to medical. The participants that were still racing have all mentioned to me that they have no idea why the race wasn't red flagged, and I agree. I really did not feel very safe with bikes whizzing past me still while I was in an impact zone. Spilled Milk, and no use crying over it. But, for the record, the alleged event DID happen. Further more, the bike that I ran over causing my crash was on track, on it's side and pointing south in the middle of Turn 7. No red flag could have been brought out quickly enough to keep me from crashing as I was in the middle of the incident as was Gearhead. But, it is absolutely true that I was laying on track, in a definite impact zone, and was laying there until the Medics got to me. Jenny did get the bike off of me and keep me still until they got there and she most definitely was in harms way herself.

Again, no use crying over spilled milk, but it did happen. Here is what Gron4 got of the crash. I am 892, and was on the outside of 902 (Gearhead) and I used the #213 SV that is down as a launch ramp. Great take off, but I botched the landing. :)

http://www.gron4.com/2009/072609/amt/902/

[spyderchick]

Thanks for your insight Jim. This is why I said I reserve judgment until all sides are heard.

From the perspective of someone who's done just about everything you can in this sport, I have an issue when there's a call for blood resulting from one incident. I don't know why a red flag was not called for. Generally the person on the com is the eyes and ears for control. Concise communication is key. Fact is, Midwest Safety Crew has an excellent record for as long as I can remember, (back to the mid 80s). They are not without fault, but I know that there is protocol in place to review all incidents and to improve performance when something is not up to their standard.

I'm glad you have a sense of humor about the incident. You definitely need to improve the landing, in fact, next time, how about you just stay shiny side up?  ;)

[truckstop]

So $10,000.00 question is.  Why do people do track days instead of racing?  It's clear that your #1 pool of immediate new riders is track days, so don't tell them they're ruining your sport.  Support and partner with them.  If you can't beat em, join em.  Those that say track days ruined racing, must assume that people were forced into racing if they wanted to get on to the track?  Now there are alternatives.  The alternative I believe has brought many new riders to the track.  As in any business, times, the economy and perceptions change.  CCS' job is to grow and adapt to meet those new challenges and changes.

Well said Greg.

[Doctor]

While I do feel that there should have been a red flag, I also am very happy with how I was treated by all parties concerned, and I am grateful to everyone from MSC, Jenna in particular, to the Blackhawk Farms Medical Team, to the CCS Staff. I did get my bell rung pretty hard, and I would have to defer to the judgment of those who didn't slam dance with the turn 7 asphalt with their noggins. Fact is, I was obviously not hit by anyone else post incident, and neither was the ambulance. I was kept out of harms way in any case, and am glad to be here. See everybody Saturday! 

[spyderchick]

While I do feel that there should have been a red flag, I also am very happy with how I was treated by all parties concerned, and I am grateful to everyone from MSC, Jenna in particular, to the Blackhawk Farms Medical Team, to the CCS Staff. I did get my bell rung pretty hard, and I would have to defer to the judgment of those who didn't slam dance with the turn 7 asphalt with their noggins. Fact is, I was obviously not hit by anyone else post incident, and neither was the ambulance. I was kept out of harms way in any case, and am glad to be here. See everybody Saturday! 

Again, thanks for your perspective Jim. I'll look forward to seeing you this weekend!

[KTG]

While I do feel that there should have been a red flag, I also am very happy with how I was treated by all parties concerned, and I am grateful to everyone from MSC, Jenna in particular, to the Blackhawk Farms Medical Team, to the CCS Staff. I did get my bell rung pretty hard, and I would have to defer to the judgment of those who didn't slam dance with the turn 7 asphalt with their noggins. Fact is, I was obviously not hit by anyone else post incident, and neither was the ambulance. I was kept out of harms way in any case, and am glad to be here. See everybody Saturday! 

And we will still never know how Ralph kept the bike upright!

[twilkinson3]

July 26th 2009 LWSS - that was my first race...I watched that happen.....and thankfully didn't clip any of you or the bikes on the way by

I was kind of wondering about that one too that day, basically the ambulance was parked in the slide zone the remainder of the race, I don't personally remember anything left on the track after that first time thru but there was definitely stuff I wouldn't like to slide into

as to how ralph kept it upright - lol - it's a buell, it doesn't LIKE to turn 8-)p

[riderupred]

And we will still never know how Ralph kept the bike upright!

exactly.!!! ...... I was told he just let got and the bike did the rest............. the bike did a great job of staying out of the pot holes back there  :D It was quite the show :D

Yeah this happened.... it was not a one time thing either... it has happened alot since we lost Bill ( R.I.P. Bill), The red flag was requested by the radio corner worker but was denied by control. I have no idea why...they did send the ambulance out at pit, counter course and parked it 3 feet off the track though. What I do know is that it was a really bad situation and the runner they put out there with me had no training and said he told control in the morning meeting that he could not be a runner.  overweight and had a heart issue :( yeah spilled milk :( life goes on..... No sour grapes....... just after a dozen times of the same type of situation... I couldn't personally deal with what the outcomes could possible become...

for this FREE safety crew, I had financial backing from racers and supporters, it would be at no cost to the track or organization.... It was not my idea to start it, rather another racers idea because they were sick of the lack of safety provided during races.  I was only asked to run it.  It was a way to keep the cost down for the track, organization, and racers while providing a  superior level of safety crew workers.   I had the money, support and people willing to work.  I have vacated that idea. Not much more to that I guess :(

[fzraddict]

You guys are all missing the most important thing that has changed in the past 10 years and made this sport to expensive. You used to be able to get in and race Supersport, which had to best contingency with very little mods. This is something that has gone overlooked for to long. Everyone has to build a motor, get kit ecu,run race gas,ect,ect. that used to be for the guys that had money and could not ride. If I could buy a bike and have strict SS rules I would still be racing.

[gearhead]

Thanks for the memories guys!!!
  In that split second as I heard Michael and his SV sliding in front of me, I remembered someone telling me to keep a light grip on the bars when in trouble, which I thought I was doing.  It was only after I saw the photos that I realized that my brain and body were in FULL BALE OUT mode!!
  My old hot rod saved me that day in spite of the guy trying to ride it!!!
  Things sure could have turned out a lot worse for everyone!