stupid hurts.. this is what NOT TO DO when your bike dies on the grid! ! !

[MELK-MAN]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsgWdS5vVYg&feature=youtu.be

As you can clearly see, the rider stalls his bike and gets hit by the bike with the camera. What you DON'T see, is the stalled bike was pushed right after the camera guy hit's him, and was then hit AGAIN, HARD, by another racer on the right side. Big crash.
This MAY have been avoided had the racer just had his hands in the air to warn the racers behind him he wasn't moving. Maybe he still would have been hit, who knows.
At least 3 racers were injured in this incident. 2 more than others, bike damage, race stopped, etc. PUT YOUR HANDS UP AND WAVE EM if the 2 board is up. Don't try to start the bike! If you do somehow get it started, you will likely be in a huge rush to lunch and might stall AGAIN. At that point they may have aborted the start, the marshal would have pushed his bike off.. OR.. they would have gone ahead with the start but at least the other riders behind would have at least had a CHANCE to avoid him with the warning.

I had a long talk with the rider that was stalled on the line. As well as 2 of his friends, one was not racing but has "raced for years".. sadly that guy feels it was all ccs's fault for not stopping the race to begin with having 2 bikes in the wrong grid position. The stalled bike rider was supposed to be in grid position "B" and another rider was there when he arrived (so they say).. so he was all flustered about that. He stalls the bike moving about, then instead of pushing it off the grid before the 2 board, keeps trying to start the bike (in supposedly the wrong grid position). BAM. bummer for all involved. At one point he had a hand up (so they said), but then as you can see it was not up at ALL during the launch.

So why would the grid marshal have stopped the start at that point? the guys would have been docked a lap for wrong grid position and they could have sorted it out after the race..
Too bad the long time racer had not given this guy some tips to keep him safe out there.. Stupid/ignorance WILL HURT YOU.

[Jeff]

3-4 years ago I was on the front row of a ~60 bike grid (MWSS) and my bike DIED right at launch.  While it fucking TERRIFIED me, I waved my hands furiously just knowing I was going to get pasted.  Every bike made it past me safely.  My leathers needed cleaning... 

It was one of the scariest moments I've ever had.  I'm just glad I reacted correctly.

[MELK-MAN]

I dread the day I have a bike stall Jeff. Can't imagine what it must be like just "waiting".. horrible. And i do feel for this guy in some ways as this entire incident was bad enough. But what was more incredible was one of his "crew" were POSITIVE someone else had to be at fault. Namely the grid marshal. Keep in mind this very rider crashed on Friday, had brakes lock up ON THE GRID of a race Saturday (causing a red flag because his bike couldn't be pushed).. then to complete the hat-trick, was at least PARTLY to blame for this crash on the grid. (that injured two other riders that hit him and damage to their bikes, and yet another red flag).

[ekraft84]

Sorry to hear what happened.  Waving your hand does make a difference to the freight train of guys launching behind you.  It's something that should be mentioned in every rider's meeting, no matter how obvious it seems.

[Kuala76]

Incidents on the start are always terrifying.  I'm 'just' a safety crew member, but I would have thought the 'dos and don'ts' of what to do if you stall on the grid would be emphasized in any racing school worth taking.  I am a bit disturbed at the involved racers reaction, I understand that mistakes happen and that in the 'heat of the moment' you may not think clearly... but to blame the grid marshal is ridiculous.  I'm sorry, he wasn't just 'partially' responsible for the incident on the grid, he was absolutely 100% responsible.  I've been to 'most' rider meetings and I know the 'other' org's race director at Summit ALWAYS makes a point of mentioning this at the rider meeting. 

[MELK-MAN]

putting your hands up to notify the starter is always discussed in the rider meeting. This was a very new racer, he clearly NEVER had his hand up before the start to notify ANYONE.. racers behind OR grid marshals.  When i suggested he do a few more track days to work out nerves.. his friend was even more infuriated.

[flyboy75]

Greg, last season during my first race weekend I stalled my bike on the front row of the rookies cup race. All I could remember was Rick Brewer saying if that happened to wave your arms like crazy and stay where you are. I did both and can tell you it was the longest 20 seconds of my life sitting there with bikes ripping by on both sides. I ended up getting sideswiped by one rider which spun my right clip-on forward. The spun clipon put the front brake on and after everyone was gone I ended up dropping my bike right in the middle of the track trying to get the bike off track. The biggest blow was to my ego, I felt terrible putting a bunch of guys in that position. Rick's words during our licensing clinic probably saved my life and someone else's that day. I'll never forget that lesson.

[Xian_13]

This was after someone stall a bike in one of the GT races.
When he was waved to get off the track, he laid his bike down, gently On the HOT race track!

I heard rumor, it was the same guy.

-X

[TrackBrat]

The biggest fear of my life as a starter!! I practically scream this in every riders meeting.......1. Do not line up directly behind another rider, 2. If something isn't right when I go to the 2 board, you have 2 seconds to stop me from going to green flag by dramatically waving your arms. DO NOT try to fix it on the grid. We will stop the countdown to help you fix it or get off the track to avoid a tragedy.....

[TrackBrat]

Xian, his wheel was locked up...from what I heard.

[hamurobby]

Okay, as the pit out guy standing at the wall watching the entire event at pit wall, I can say there was no stopping this from happening from ccs. :( I WATCHED the rider who"s bike stalled, pick up his LEFT HAND BRIEFLY, (like he was saying hi) and NEVER GOT IT ABOVE HIS HELMET. For less than a second. I thought he was saying he was ready, NOT THAT HIS BIKE HAD STALLED. Once I realized he was trying to RESTART HIS BIKE, (this happened in less than two seconds) IT WAS TOO LATE, THE GREEN was thrown. :( IF HE HAD RAISED HIS HAND OR HANDS ABOVE HIS HEAD, THERE MIGHT (would) HAVE BEEN TIME TO ABORT THE START. BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT HAPPENED. :( HE tried to restart his bike before letting anyone know his bike was stalled. PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS AND WAVE THEM WILDLY, LIKE YOU ARE TRYING TO BE SAVED! This was almost tragic, it was terrible, because when the first bike hit (in the video) the stalled bike, it turned to the right into another bikes path that had to be doing 40-50+ mph (or more) with his front brake locked up. The second bike that hit him was so violent it put the third bike into the wall and it was BRUTAL. That first bike which hit the stalled bike bent the footpeg and shifter at a 90 degree angle to the bike and bent the handle bar. What happened after that on the right side, was even worse. If your bike stalls before a start, PLEASE PLEASE WAIVE YOUR HANDS ABOVE YOUR HEAD! WE WILL WAIT OR HELP YOU GET YOUR BIKE OFF THE GRID. MAKE EVERYONE WAIT!!!!!! ITS WAY BETTER THAN THIS OUTCOME. I have had to do it once, I stalled on a start after the green, I got lucky and no one hit me (hard)... I was waiving my arms like I was trying to land an f16 on a dark carrier in the Pacific, cause I was scared :) I have never been so scared in my life, what a helpless feeling that was. WHAT IM SAYING IS, THE RIDER NEVER LET ANYONE KNOW HE WAS IN TROUBLE :(

[MELK-MAN]

This was after someone stall a bike in one of the GT races.
When he was waved to get off the track, he laid his bike down, gently On the HOT race track!

I heard rumor, it was the same guy.

-X

it was the same rider, but in his defense on that matter (from what he and his buddy said) the brakes were locked up. This is what had led to his crash earlier on Friday. They said the master cyl was faulty.. he tried to push the bike, but no go so he just laid the bike down.