Ambulance On Track

[Jwhite316]

I never understood why the Learning Curves mock race.....until this past Sunday at BHF!  Three races saw an ambulance come out on the track during a race on Sunday. Good weekend all around!

[design-engine]

we all slowed down in one expert middleweight class and we never saw a red flag so I passed everyone and got i t first .... then I saw a red flag.   big cluster f*ck

[supercarl]

Yep, I messed up and threw an arm out thinking ambulence meant red flag. Then everyone comes flying past me and I'm all like why are they going so fast back to the pits? Then it dawned on me...it was still a race haha. I've just never been in a race where there was an ambulence without a red flag. Maybe I should take learning curves again :p

[bruce71198]

  Three races saw an ambulance come out on the track during a race on Sunday. Good weekend all around!

I bet theres three racers that may disagree....

[IFMracing]

I have a hard time with the ambulance on track while still racing.
It really does seem like an accident could have dire consequences with a vehicle on track, I mean, shit happens and I would rather not slide under a moving ambulance.

[Burt Munro]

Bart and Carl I think you might be talking about the same race. From what I understand turn 5 mistakenly put out the Red Flag so Control was forced to stop the race. Cornerworkers don't have the authority to initiate putting out a Red Flag - that authorization comes from Control. Talked to one rider who was real upset on Hot Pit once the race was stopped. He saw the Red Flag at 5 but not at 6 or 6a and he didn't understand what was going on. Always hate to see the ambulance on the track while still racing - especially on the front straight.

[flyboy75]

During the Unlimited Superbike race I saw the ambulance flag and remembered its an advisory flag. Then, running down the front straight nose to tail with another rider I see the ambulance come out on track and cut across right in front of us. We missed hitting it, but it was much closer than I would have liked and thought it was an unnecessary risk. I don't think the driver realized how fast we were closing.

[supercarl]

Bart and Carl I think you might be talking about the same race. From what I understand turn 5 mistakenly put out the Red Flag so Control was forced to stop the race. Cornerworkers don't have the authority to initiate putting out a Red Flag - that authorization comes from Control. Talked to one rider who was real upset on Hot Pit once the race was stopped. He saw the Red Flag at 5 but not at 6 or 6a and he didn't understand what was going on. Always hate to see the ambulance on the track while still racing - especially on the front straight.

Yea, I believe we we're talking about the same races as well. I was wondering why some of the guys kept racing after I saw a red flag in 5. Didnt realize it was a corner worker mistake, but good to know!  And it was definitly sketchy when that ambulence came out on the front straight right as we were entering the braking zone for turn one. I just kept thinking to myself..."DO NOT target fixate" lol.

[DanO966]

Yep, I messed up and threw an arm out thinking ambulence meant red flag. Then everyone comes flying past me and I'm all like why are they going so fast back to the pits? Then it dawned on me...it was still a race haha. I've just never been in a race where there was an ambulence without a red flag. Maybe I should take learning curves again :p

LOL  I almost a** packed you... I was drafting you to make a pass into T1..LOL funny part, I thought they called the race w/ a red flag also.

I already talked to Rick about the Ambulance in HWSS at the end of the day.  It was in T4 right in the impact zone.  That race should of been called but it is what it is. 

Good times...it's always an adventure racing these damn motorbikes...

[supercarl]

LOL  I almost a** packed you... I was drafting you to make a pass into T1..LOL funny part, I thought they called the race w/ a red flag also.

I already talked to Rick about the Ambulance in HWSS at the end of the day.  It was in T4 right in the impact zone.  That race should of been called but it is what it is. 

Good times...it's always an adventure racing these damn motorbikes...

Thanks for avoiding me Dan! next time I'll def stay on it a little longer after I throw out my arm. an a$$ packing would not have been good lol. On the plus side I would've probably came to a stop right next to the ambulence lol:D

[DanO966]

On the plus side I would've probably came to a stop right next to the ambulence lol:D

we both would of...LOL If our bikes didn't take out the Ambulance first...

[steve p]

If they didn't pack so much shit into one day, they would have the time necessary to throw a red and restart, especially on the first lap.  FFS.  I'm all for not throwing a red, as long as it's endurance racing, but in an 8 lap sprint race.  I disagree.

[SV88]

I wasn't crazy about coming in @ 140-150 mph down the front straigtht heading right for the ambulance for 2 laps (F40MW).  If it was positionned to protect a downed rider, it make perfect sense.  However if a downed rider is in an impact zone, shouldn't there be a red flag?  Not crazy about dodging ambulances on track.  That race was a crash fest with riders down in T1,3,6 and a blown motor in 7.

[Suzy]

That was some race.  I was at 5.  I've been cornerworking since 2005, the radio's at Blackhawk have been there before I began. Those radios are all coming apart.  I had a few issues with the first radio because the headset was not working. They came out and gave me a new one. Then, the next headset would not stay plugged into the radio. I noticed the red light blinking on the radio but was not hearing anything, so when I adjusted the jack back into the radio, I heard red flag. That's when it went up. I called to control and asked if it was up, right after my call he called red flag all corners. He was asking corner 1 if he needed the red flag to stop the race only, I jumped the gun on it. All sincere apologies for what happened. When I went in for lunch, I had to get a rubber band to hold the headset to the radio. It was my first time back in 3 years and had hoped after the improvements they made to the track, that the radio's would have been one of them.

[roadracer162]

Suzy, sounds to me like you did the right thing in throwing the red flag. My thought is if there is a need for the EMS the ambulance should be mobilized. If that is the case and the ambulance is going on track then the race should be stopped due to the probability of an impact zone.

I would suppose if the rider fell and cant get to a safe place then he is still in the impact zone. Another rider could fall in the same way and Bang! you have a secondary impact. It is understandable to continue the race if the rider can get away from the impact zone and make his/her way to a designated "safe area".

I personally don't like the distraction of Emergency lighting or an ambulance even close to the track.

[design-engine]

maybe they should stop the race if the ambulance needs to park it's big ass in a crash zone ;)