Details on my crash

[Decreasing_Dave]

I'll try not to bore you with too many details, but here it is.

Middleweight GP, Sunday morning.  I had been having bike/horsepower problems all weekend with my R6.  I knew that if I was to keep whatever position I had, I needed to ride defensively.

It was Expert and Amatuer combined, one start.  I got a good start and rolled up into the Expert field.  I knew that Tristan and Jon would be right on my tail.  I followed a couple of the slower Experts around the first lap.  One of them was #20 (don't know who).  They were holding me up, but I couldn't get past.

With one lap complete,  Tristan got past me going into T1.  He had been doing that to me all weekend.  He must have me on HP by about 10.  I must have him on weight by at least 40.  So there you have it.  I'd get him back in the turns though ;D.   With Tristan in front of me, one of the Experts goes off after T1 (not #20, the other one).  I was able to get past Tristan going into T2.  I knew if I could get past #20 and put him between me and Tristan than I could get a break.

I was fast going into T3 (right kink) and T4 (left keyhole) all weekend.  I had watched #20 set himself wide for T4 on the previous lap.  I knew that if he did it again, that would be my ticket.  I set him up.  I charged all the way into T3 and positioned just to his left.  I was in hot.  That wasn't a problem until he didn't swing wide!!  The door was shut and I had 10-15 additional mph in closing speed!!!

Rather than take him out, I swerved left over the curbing, across the dirt, off of the other curbing and across the track, straight.  I used as much brake as I thought that I could without throwing it down.  I knew that I had cleared him, now I just had to get it stopped.

I quickly ran out of asphalt and began dirt-surfing.  Some of you know that I typically do quite well at that.  I was fine....until I saw that there was a chain-link fence and concrete blocks in my path.  Will, your assumption was right, I threw the bike to the ground 'cuz I didn't feel that there was anyway that I could get it stopped before the barriers.

I remember being on the ground after pitching it and cussing in my helmet.  THEN I remember laying in a fetal position, gasping for O2.  Within 20 seconds, Randy and Fred (CCS Officials) were there telling me that they had Red-flagged the race and EMTs were on scene.  I thought that they were really fast.  The reality is, I must have been out for a few minutes.  I was alying with my head and top portion of my shoulders IN-BETWEEN two concrete blocks.  If I was 1 more foot to the left or 6 more INCHES to the right, I would be head and shoulders deep into the concrete block.  Dumb luck, or good aim??

Tom from Pirelli said that he thought the bike landed on my back, hence the injuries.

I'm out of work for 3 weeks to begin with.  A check-up then will determine where I go from there.

I know that I have plenty of time to make decisions regarding my racing, but you can only imagine the amount of free-time I have.  I have come up with the following.

I'm leading the points battle with all five of my classes.  Oh well.  
I wanted to go to Daytona, so that I could race Dafan.  Sorry Dafan, can't do it now.  

Although the bike isn't bad, I'm only going to fix it enough to sell it to my buddy as I promised him.  It'll be ready a few months early but it can sit here.  I do have my 2003 R6 that's still street ready.  I'm going to get that race ready and try to hit a trackday or two when my body is ready.  I don't anticipate riding until October.  I want to heal really well physically, so that I don't question myself mentally.  I may make it to the last Firebird in November.  I'll let you know.

I'm not ready to give it up yet.  Maybe I'm stupid, but the family has too much fun at the track.

Many thanks to everyone both on the forum and at the track for their support and assistance for my family and I.  I look forward to dicing with you once again.  ;D

D. Dave

[zx9r-racer]

>..."I was alying with my head and top portion of my shoulders IN-BETWEEN two concrete blocks..."<

Yikes! :o

Good thing you weren't too "big headed" about your race results this season or it woulda been a tight fit! ;D

[Peanut]

Good to here your ok.  Good luck on the recovery....

[r6_philly]

hey Dave, sorry again for your crash. Reading the details, I am so amazed how our season has become so similiar, no wonder I want to race ya  ;D

I too, had to throw my bike down at summit point after getting the door shut, ran off track to avoid hitting the guy and ran out of track. I too saw a concrete wall coming up and decide to bin the bike and save myself. I ended up sitting against the last time in the tire wall and 2 feet from the end of the concret wall. I could just see the injuries if I had rolled into that 12 inch concrete block. Dumb luck or good aim? I don't know, but it seem that you made a decent decision and so did I. I didn't get injured this time because I had enough from 6 weeks before at the same turn  ;D That time I was between 2 tire piles infront of a dirt wall that they had moved back about 30 feet.

I was leading at least a class back then too. So I thought about not being able to enjoy my loved ones, my future, and everything else I enjoy and holds dear. So I went home thinking I will do trackdays for the rest of my life (since that is readily set up for me :) )

But the fact is, as soon as I could get my hip over the bike, I went for a street ride. I went to a trackday the next week, rode there too. Then I put my STILL mangled bike into the trailer and drove to VIR. Fixed the bike on Friday, did a team challenge and raced Sat.

So now 1 month later I am sitting here with yet another broken finger and my hand still can't touch my shoulder, scheming out a way to go to Barber without a bike. I guess I am too crazy, or stupid, or stubborn, or just love it too much. I can do a track day every week, but it is not the same. I go to track days to socialize and help other people, I don't go for myself. I race for myself. I can't give it up.

Although through the setbacks, I am no longer in contention for a regional championship, so I am giving up the rest of the season, except for Daytona. I am going to get a new bike and race Expert next year. no matter what happens, if I can get on a bike to race, I think I will. It is in me, and I know its in you too. As soon as the pain subsides, it will yield its head again  ;D

So rest well, heal well, if I don' see you at Daytona, I am sure I will race you next year... somewhere. You can't go racing without race at Daytona can you ;)

Get well Dave, the races miss you and you miss the races 8)

[TrophyGal]

Dave get well soon! My wife (Trophy Gal) and I came out to help since the military has alot of the staff. Jeanne sold T-shirts and did awards while I did control. From the tower your incident looked bad, I red flagged and dispached the bus immediatly. After the race weekend the staff for the event had a debrief and at the very least your race director is going to try and get the concrete moved to atleast 6ft behind the fence. It was alot of fun coming out west to help run ya'lls race. Hope we can do it again sometime. On the east coast we have trees instead of blue rooms for our corner staff.

[Jeff]

I'm not ready to give it up yet.  Maybe I'm stupid, but the family has too much fun at the track.

Good for you Dave!  If you gave it up, you'd just end up being run over by a street car...

[clutch]

Dave..glad you are ok man.